as in clown
a comically dressed performer (as at a circus) who entertains with playful tricks and ridiculous behavior
among the court entertainers waiting to enter the grand hall were masked harlequins in brightly colored pantaloons
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Recent Examples of harlequin
Like an ex-NatGeo marine videographer, who can film guests drift diving through walls of harlequin sweetlips, as if the spirit of Jacques Cousteau was puppeteering their wetsuits.
—
Tristan Rutherford, Robb Report, 26 Jan. 2026
In these respects, apart from the harlequin excesses of his Stalinism, Cowley is terrifically sound.
—Vince Passaro, Harpers Magazine, 30 Dec. 2025
That is, until Episode 3, when the terrifying harlequin seems to finally appear from the pitch black depths of a crypt inside the Derry cemetery.
—Katie Campione, Deadline, 9 Nov. 2025
Pity the poor actor who has to co-star opposite a 150-pound harlequin Great Dane.
—Peter Rainer, Christian Science Monitor, 3 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for harlequin
Tristan Rutherford, Robb Report, 26 Jan. 2026
In these respects, apart from the harlequin excesses of his Stalinism, Cowley is terrifically sound.
—Vince Passaro, Harpers Magazine, 30 Dec. 2025
That is, until Episode 3, when the terrifying harlequin seems to finally appear from the pitch black depths of a crypt inside the Derry cemetery.
—Katie Campione, Deadline, 9 Nov. 2025
Pity the poor actor who has to co-star opposite a 150-pound harlequin Great Dane.
—Peter Rainer, Christian Science Monitor, 3 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for harlequin
Recent Examples of Synonyms for harlequin
clown
Noun
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There’s some Streisand, too, and a big dose of Andrea Martin, specifically Martin’s signature SCTV character Edith Prickley, that bawdy, gawdy ham with all the bravado of a Catskills clown.—
Greg Evans,
Deadline,
22 Apr. 2026
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Once completed, the $5 million acquisition will ensure the theater has a permanent home, a place where skateboarding clowns and leek-haired onions can continue to frolic and dance for decades to come.—
Todd Martens,
Los Angeles Times,
13 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Harlequin.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/harlequin. Accessed 28 Apr. 2026.
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