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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for harlequins
clowns
Noun
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In front of him, idolatrous Republican lawmakers popped up and down to applaud like clowns in wind-up music boxes of old.—
Jackie Calmes,
Mercury News,
27 Feb. 2026 -
An episodic framework, physical comedy, a small ensemble of actors who are all at home in their clowns and who will all, at some point, drop the mask to speak to us as themselves — for Ogawa, these are ways to bring effervescence and intimacy to the contemplation of insoluble, heavy things.—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
26 Feb. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Harlequins.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/harlequins. Accessed 9 Mar. 2026.
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