as in blank
not expressing any emotion
he delivered the joke in such a deadpan voice that we thought at first that he was serious
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of deadpan
Season three’s premiere reveals that in the years since high school, Rue has become a drug mule, running product across the Mexican-American border for her old drug dealer Laurie (the wonderfully deadpan Martha Kelly).
—
Chris Murphy, Vanity Fair, 13 Apr. 2026
As deadpan delivery goes, Belichick always had a little Steven Wright in him.
—Steve Buckley, New York Times, 10 Apr. 2026
The parade of styles, of homage and revolt, from the chromatic frenzy of Pollock and de Kooning to the deadpan rigor of Ruscha and Johns, led to the question of Lerner’s formation.
—Giles Harvey, New Yorker, 30 Mar. 2026
His priceless deadpan delivery couldn’t be better suited for the character.
—Randy McMullen, Mercury News, 26 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for deadpan
Chris Murphy, Vanity Fair, 13 Apr. 2026
As deadpan delivery goes, Belichick always had a little Steven Wright in him.
—Steve Buckley, New York Times, 10 Apr. 2026
The parade of styles, of homage and revolt, from the chromatic frenzy of Pollock and de Kooning to the deadpan rigor of Ruscha and Johns, led to the question of Lerner’s formation.
—Giles Harvey, New Yorker, 30 Mar. 2026
His priceless deadpan delivery couldn’t be better suited for the character.
—Randy McMullen, Mercury News, 26 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for deadpan
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deadpan
Adjective
-
That means the device can produce a 100-inch image from less than a half foot away from a projector screen or blank wall, and a 200-inch image from less than two feet.—
Bryan Hood,
Robb Report,
24 Apr. 2026
-
Gameweek 34 is going to be biggest blank gameweek in the Fantasy Premier League calendar this season, with just seven fixtures to pick from due to postponements for the FA Cup semi-finals.—
Holly Shand,
New York Times,
23 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The routine calls for this chic, almost expressionless vibe — very different from a typical K-pop performance.—
Billboard Korea,
Billboard,
26 Nov. 2025
-
Bale ran to the corner of the pitch, and, having been an expressionless bystander for much of the evening, shouted in ecstasy.—
Hua Hsu,
The New Yorker,
21 Nov. 2022
Adjective
-
More often those concert performances help pump up a flashy, superficial look at an enigmatic artist whose closest connections were of the animal variety (Bubbles gets screen time; ditto a giraffe, a llama and a big snake).—
Randy Myers,
Mercury News,
23 Apr. 2026
-
Decades later, however, the origin story of these carbon spheres remains enigmatic.—
Elizabeth Howell,
Space.com,
23 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Bakri’s face is impassive and exhausted during this casual debasement, his voice low, and his tone deadpan, as though Salim has been forced to do all this a million times before.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
24 Mar. 2026
-
Dressed in a blue sweatshirt and surrounded by court officers, Henderson remained impassive.—
Corky Siemaszko,
NBC news,
7 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Kinlaw remained stolid throughout most of the public comment period and did not address calls for his resignation.—
Rebecca Noel,
Charlotte Observer,
21 Apr. 2026
-
At the outset, Martin (William Giammona) is as stolid as a piece of furniture, standing stock still at center stage, the black rectangle through which the other actors enter and exit like a deep void behind him.—
Steven Winn,
San Francisco Chronicle,
3 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Deadpan.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deadpan. Accessed 26 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
