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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of deadpan
The film’s wry brand of sadness at times recalls the work of Aki Kaurismäki, although Covi and Frimmel rarely mimic the Finnish auteur’s deadpan style of humor.
—
Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 19 Feb. 2026
Chase sequences through streets and down staircases are more thuddingly deadpan than raucously camp.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 18 Feb. 2026
Robbie, who proved her deadpan comedic acting chops in Barbie, is a joy as the flighty, vain, fast-talking Cathy, totally lacking in self-awareness.
—Radhika Seth, Vogue, 9 Feb. 2026
Araki flashes back a tongue-in-cheek nine-and-a-half weeks to show us, alternating key moments from Elliot’s life with deadpan police interrogation scenes, where Elliot is questioned by officers played, with Araki’s undeniable casting brilliance, by Margaret Cho and Johnny Knoxville.
—Damon Wise, Deadline, 23 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for deadpan
Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 19 Feb. 2026
Chase sequences through streets and down staircases are more thuddingly deadpan than raucously camp.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 18 Feb. 2026
Robbie, who proved her deadpan comedic acting chops in Barbie, is a joy as the flighty, vain, fast-talking Cathy, totally lacking in self-awareness.
—Radhika Seth, Vogue, 9 Feb. 2026
Araki flashes back a tongue-in-cheek nine-and-a-half weeks to show us, alternating key moments from Elliot’s life with deadpan police interrogation scenes, where Elliot is questioned by officers played, with Araki’s undeniable casting brilliance, by Margaret Cho and Johnny Knoxville.
—Damon Wise, Deadline, 23 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for deadpan
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deadpan
Adjective
-
Dawson instead showed up at Cubs’ spring training in ’87 and made the most famous gambit in free agent history — offering the team a blank contract to sign him.—
Paul Sullivan,
Chicago Tribune,
11 Mar. 2026
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But there was more blank space to fill in on Issei’s end, with Season 2 swapping out fantasy sequences in Camille’s mind palace for Issei’s visions of black-and-white moonscapes to that effect.—
Alison Herman,
Variety,
11 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The routine calls for this chic, almost expressionless vibe — very different from a typical K-pop performance.—
Billboard Korea,
Billboard,
26 Nov. 2025
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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
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At the center of it all in the Lone Star State were the always-enigmatic Latinx voters — whose voting patterns have long flummoxed pollsters.—
Carlos De Loera,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Mar. 2026
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An architect by training, Censori, 31, has been an enigmatic and largely silent fixture in West’s orbit for years, making her statements mostly through provocative performance art that often incorporates public nudity.—
Nancy Dillon,
Rolling Stone,
5 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Dressed in a blue sweatshirt and surrounded by court officers, Henderson remained impassive.—
Corky Siemaszko,
NBC news,
7 Mar. 2026
-
Now the piano has something to play against, slinking, leaping, whipping, and swiveling like an agitated shark in a tank of impassive harmonies.—
Justin Davidson,
Vulture,
3 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The Roosevelt, a stolid 19 masonry floors, can’t compete in this new game.—
Christopher Bonanos,
Curbed,
25 Feb. 2026
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Even Universal’s stolid Lew Wasserman was suddenly looking for buyers and firing existing staff.—
Peter Bart,
Deadline,
18 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Deadpan.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deadpan. Accessed 14 Mar. 2026.
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