1
as in parodies
a poor, insincere, or insulting imitation of something
the recall of a duly elected official for a frivolous reason is not democracy in action but a farce
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in comedies
humorous entertainment
the rubber-faced, loose-jointed comedian is a master of knockabout farce
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Recent Examples of farces
With sparse amounts of slapstick, this staging isn’t the most physical of farces, though Lutz and Enriquez in particular strike some laugh-out-loud poses.
—
Emily McClanathan, Chicago Tribune, 17 Apr. 2026
Two suburban groups, Plano’s Rover Dramawerks and MainStage Irving-Las Colinas, are opening the new year with farces by prolific British playwrights that are marked by mistaken identity and other comic twists.
—Manuel Mendoza, Dallas Morning News, 8 Jan. 2026
His air of louche mischief attended his farces about Dada and James Joyce and moral determinism, his cleverness worn as lightly as a scarf.
—Helen Shaw, New Yorker, 30 Nov. 2025
His movies — farces, fables, experiments — reside in surreal worlds of their own.
—Jake Coyle, Boston Herald, 24 Oct. 2025
Emily McClanathan, Chicago Tribune, 17 Apr. 2026
Two suburban groups, Plano’s Rover Dramawerks and MainStage Irving-Las Colinas, are opening the new year with farces by prolific British playwrights that are marked by mistaken identity and other comic twists.
—Manuel Mendoza, Dallas Morning News, 8 Jan. 2026
His air of louche mischief attended his farces about Dada and James Joyce and moral determinism, his cleverness worn as lightly as a scarf.
—Helen Shaw, New Yorker, 30 Nov. 2025
His movies — farces, fables, experiments — reside in surreal worlds of their own.
—Jake Coyle, Boston Herald, 24 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for farces
Noun
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Its various iterations have managed to hold viewers' attention in the years since (the 2009 sibling version inspired a slew of parodies and fan fiction).—
Rachel Treisman,
NPR,
20 May 2026
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His most viral videos include skits about dueling Drake and Kendrick Lamar tracks and parodies amplifying more serious lyrical messages in popular party music.—
Lia Russell,
Sacbee.com,
13 May 2026
Noun
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The broadest of comedies, the film’s often puerile humor is driven by an endless stream of male bungling, blundering and whining, only to be kicked up a notch by pratfalls of nearly every variety, from getting bucked off a galloping horse to tripping into a pile of trash.—
Natalia Winkelman,
Variety,
27 May 2026
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Two comedies round out the five-strong announcement.—
Stewart Clarke,
Deadline,
26 May 2026
Noun
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Millions and millions of people tuned in to watch Johnny Carson poke fun at everyone, identify and support up-and-coming comics, entertain with clever and timeless skits, bring on musical guests and tell jokes.—
Ian Miller OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
1 June 2026
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The star has been the butt of too many mean jokes, the object of veneration and a muse for film and literary retellings that have elevated her into the realm of myth.—
Daniel D'Addario,
Variety,
1 June 2026
Noun
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However, Khatima also maintained that the four humors played a role in determining the plague’s course.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 May 2026
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The ancient Greek physician Hippocrates divided the lives of men into only four stages, a number that mirrored the four humors and the four elements.—
Shayla Love,
New Yorker,
25 Feb. 2026
Noun
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There’s a tension between the update’s good intentions and the tendency of musical comedy to traffic in amusing caricatures.—
Theater Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
20 May 2026
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The filmmaker also wanted to steer clear of caricatures on either side of the conflict.—
Elsa Keslassy,
Variety,
17 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Farces.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/farces. Accessed 4 Jun. 2026.
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