as in absurd
showing or marked by a lack of good sense or judgment
she's always off on some screwball plan
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in eccentric
a person of odd or whimsical habits
a screwball who liked to save lint and bits of string
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of screwball
A.a. Dowd, Chron, 12 May 2023
Each event becomes screwball one-act with different chaos ensembles.
—Darren Franich, EW.com, 16 Feb. 2023
Justin Chang, The New Yorker, 22 Mar. 2025
License Jason Lee to turn loose his screwball side.
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 20 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for screwball
Adjective
Here, Johnson applies a screwball procedural framework to a true story of tech-world boom and bust, building his movie on a clash of values and personalities.
—A.a. Dowd, Chron, 12 May 2023
Each event becomes screwball one-act with different chaos ensembles.
—Darren Franich, EW.com, 16 Feb. 2023
Noun
Mostly, though, you are arrested by the combativeness of the characters’ screwball banter, much of which is devoted to the explication of clashing political ideologies.
—Justin Chang, The New Yorker, 22 Mar. 2025
License Jason Lee to turn loose his screwball side.
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 20 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for screwball
Recent Examples of Synonyms for screwball
Adjective
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The French super powerhouse has taken teams part since winning the UEFA Champions League crown on May 24, outscoring its foes by an absurd 21-1 margin.—
Michael Lewis,
Forbes.com,
12 July 2025
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From the vantage point of 2025, this appears as absurd as suggesting that women’s soccer matches should be 70 minutes instead of 90, the same as in the men’s game.—
Charlie Eccleshare,
New York Times,
12 July 2025
Noun
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Ra’s decades-long adherence to this personal mythology, along with his air of serene bemusement and his extravagant robes and headdresses, led to his popular image as a colorful eccentric.—
Ekow Eshun
July 11,
Literary Hub,
11 July 2025
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Other characters include outcasts, visionaries and eccentrics — all of whom live on the margins as unseen — a former priest, a girl trapped in working her family’s candy stand, a woman who learned preaching from her brother and is a caretaker for her dying housemate.—
Mary Ann Grossmann,
Twin Cities,
18 May 2025
Adjective
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There were no costumes, no silly dances or hit parodies.—
Courtney Devores,
Charlotte Observer,
28 July 2025
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That may sound silly to some, Foster said, but the work done by the Environmental Protection Agency in placing bands on birds and following the migration of bees informs officials about the impact of projects on the environment.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
27 July 2025
Noun
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Since the 1940s, professional wrestling has grown in popularity, thanks to its creative characters, stellar performances, and broad appeal to a mainstream audience.—
Mark LaSota,
Forbes.com,
27 July 2025
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But none topped Booker Prize-winner Hollinghurst, who turned out, in the same 15 minutes as the rest of us, a richly cinematic scene placing the fictional character of Alan Hollinghurst in a tricky social encounter fraught with manners, ego, and ambition.—
Dan Morrison,
USA Today,
26 July 2025
Adjective
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And some stupid Republicans, and foolish Republicans, fall into the net.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
20 July 2025
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The film ends with Lady Susan setting herself up in a kind of throuple, although one member of the ménage is too stupid to be so informed.—
Tom Gliatto,
People.com,
19 July 2025
Noun
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Same goes with the rest of Arlen, a textured and quietly diverse ecosystem of suburbanites, oddballs, immigrants, and whatever sad-sack category Bill Dauterive fits into.—
Nicholas Quah,
Vulture,
25 July 2025
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The friends' adventures take them deeper into their ever-eccentric community of Table Town, where animals and magical oddballs navigate life, school, relationships, and the quirks of their offbeat and loveable universe.—
DeVonne Goode,
Parents,
24 July 2025
Adjective
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The Marlins would be foolish to trade away an ace with affordable team control at his lowest value ever.—
Zach Pressnell,
MSNBC Newsweek,
13 July 2025
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Schulman’s characters make enough foolish and self-indulgent choices to fill a volume twice the size of this slim one.—
Book Marks
July 11,
Literary Hub,
11 July 2025
Noun
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In 1929, the original came down to make way for the Empire State Building.—
Jacqui Gifford,
Travel + Leisure,
25 July 2025
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Paramount+ Premium is $12.99 per month and includes everything in the Essential plan plus Showtime originals, blockbuster movies and live TV with fewer ads.—
Fernando Cervantes Jr,
USA Today,
24 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Screwball.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/screwball. Accessed 1 Aug. 2025.
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