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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Rodríguez’s government earlier this month had announced plans to release a significant number of prisoners in a goodwill gesture, but relatives of those detained have condemned the slow pace of the releases.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
1 Feb. 2026
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Gould said he was deeply moved by the gesture.—
Kelly McGreal,
FOXNews.com,
1 Feb. 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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After playing in a second-tier Canadian junior league, the younger Ward spent four years at the University of Nebraska-Omaha, then signed a series of minor-league and two-way deals after going undrafted.—
Andrew Knoll,
Daily News,
27 Jan. 2026
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Along with Tucker, the Dodgers signed three-time All-Star closer Edwin Díaz to a three-year, $69 million deal to shore up the backend of their bullpen.—
Justice delos Santos,
Mercury News,
27 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Did Coachella, Rio and the Mayhem Ball take her to her highest heights yet as a live performer?—
Andrew Unterberger,
Billboard,
28 Jan. 2026
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What ties it all together, however, is SINAKA as a performer.—
Tomás Gauna,
Pitchfork,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
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With the game well out of reach and 10 seconds to play, Tre White dunked — despite Self motioning from the sideline to dribble it out.—
Shreyas Laddha,
Kansas City Star,
25 Jan. 2026
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As Kupp motioned to the other side of the formation, corner Josh Wallace followed him all the way across, which gave Darnold a major man tell.—
Ted Nguyen,
New York Times,
22 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The results will show young women who look an awful lot like circus clowns, with faces hidden under layers of masks, gels, serums, and even face tape.—
Jana Pollack,
Parents,
31 Jan. 2026
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What awaits you is an emotional journey through family, death, grief, memory, hope, and tears that also features clowns – yes, clowns!—
Georg Szalai,
HollywoodReporter,
29 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pantomime.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pantomime. Accessed 4 Feb. 2026.
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