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
  • Gacy painted over a thousand pictures, many of clowns, while on death row in the 1980s and 1990s.
    — Rick Kogan, Chicago Tribune, 28 Oct. 2026
  • The weekend kicks off in earnest with the annual zombie walk, which this year also features clowns.
    — Patrick Connolly, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 Oct. 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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Cite this Entry

“Harlequins.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/harlequins. Accessed 13 Nov. 2026.

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