harlequins

noun

plural of harlequin
as in clowns
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 Synonyms for harlequins
clowns
Noun
  • Perhaps most astonishingly, the movie manages to make creepy clowns — that shopworn trope — genuinely frightening again.
    — Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 7 July 2026
  • Hang out with sheep, meet magicians and clowns and explore the amusement park.
    — Cole Premo, CBS News, 29 June 2026
Definition of clowns
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.

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harlequin
harlequins
harlotries
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“Harlequins.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/harlequins. Accessed 24 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on harlequins

Nglish: Translation of harlequins for Spanish Speakers

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