1
as in gesture
a movement of the body or limbs that expresses or emphasizes an idea or feeling
the game requires that you use pantomime to communicate an idea
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in mime
an actor in a story performed silently and entirely by body movements
in ancient Rome pantomimes performed tragic love stories
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of pantomime
David Remnick, New Yorker, 19 Oct. 2025
The rest of the cast is similarly sleepwalking through a fanciful pantomime of Southern culture rather than a serious drama.
—Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 13 Oct. 2025
Andrew Baggarly, The Athletic, 22 Feb. 2025
Yet not a sound emerges from the baying mob, which has been instructed to pantomime their appreciation noiselessly.
—Charlie Campbell, TIME, 24 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pantomime
Noun
Talk of a solution—of two states, of a confederation, of nearly any prospect for a secure and free mode of coexistence—has long been dismissed as either an ingenuous assertion of faith or a cynical pantomime, an empty gesture toward a future no one expects to see.
—David Remnick, New Yorker, 19 Oct. 2025
The rest of the cast is similarly sleepwalking through a fanciful pantomime of Southern culture rather than a serious drama.
—Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 13 Oct. 2025
Verb
As Huff ran down the line, Bochy pumped his arms while pantomiming the Herman Munster trot.
—Andrew Baggarly, The Athletic, 22 Feb. 2025
Yet not a sound emerges from the baying mob, which has been instructed to pantomime their appreciation noiselessly.
—Charlie Campbell, TIME, 24 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pantomime
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pantomime
Noun
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But the gesture may be more symbolic than practical, since the ordinance could be difficult to enforce if passed, according to the county’s attorney.—
Ilana Arougheti,
Kansas City Star,
13 Jan. 2026
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This is a childhood that had all its ordinariness burned out of it by the linking of even seemingly trivial gestures (an offering of candy, a bath, a swim, the dust in a corner of a room) to an entire array of physical and mental agonies.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
13 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Instead, someone hands me a wooden pole with a piece of foam taped around one end and mimes poking the machine in its chest.—
James Vincent,
Harpers Magazine,
30 Dec. 2025
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Ellie the Elephant was also in attendance, doing an impressive book-reading mime routine on the red carpet.—
Emma Alpern,
Vulture,
20 Nov. 2025
Verb
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The Hurricanes also signed six freshman defensive backs this cycle in JJ Dunnigan, Camdin Portis, Jaelen Waters, Cortez Redding, Brody Jennings and Jontavius Wyman.—
Jordan McPherson,
Miami Herald,
11 Jan. 2026
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If a player chooses not to negotiate with the Panthers, that player will be unable to sign elsewhere, unless Carolina relinquishes his rights by not offering him a tender.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
11 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Authorities called for additional measures to prevent overlap between performer and audience exit times and to minimize traffic disruption in the surrounding area.—
Hannah Abraham,
Forbes.com,
22 Jan. 2026
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The 30-year-old from Venezuela pitched out of the bullpen early on but has been a steady performer and mostly a reliable winner since moving into the rotation exclusively in 2022.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
21 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Mims motioned from the right slot to outside on the left.—
Parker Gabriel,
Denver Post,
18 Jan. 2026
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After the Packers motioned and right before the snap, Booker slanted inside and Brisker went outside.—
Ted Nguyen,
New York Times,
15 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Brewer depicts the world of music impersonators with a fair amount of affection, like the rodeo clowns of late 20th-century America.—
Peter Tonguette,
The Washington Examiner,
9 Jan. 2026
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Cirque du Soleil is known for its shows featuring acrobats, athletes and clowns – all doing spectacular feats.—
Brian Steinberg,
Variety,
8 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pantomime.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pantomime. Accessed 25 Jan. 2026.
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