as in silly
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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of screwball
Brian Truitt, USA Today, 19 Sep. 2025
Each performance arrives with a sense of reinvention — not unlike Hepburn, whose leap from screwball comedies in the 1930s to searing dramas in the 1960s charted an artistic evolution rarely equaled in Hollywood.
—Clayton Davis, Variety, 30 Aug. 2025
Todd Harmonson, Oc Register, 4 Aug. 2025
The delivery sequences are almost Sean Baker-esque in their depictions of the ways that poverty can turn the simplest of errands into a screwball comedy when everything seems to go wrong for you at every minute of the day.
—Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 30 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for screwball
Adjective
Just think of the gridiron characters who've hit the big screen over the years, giving us awesome cinematic moments in everything from screwball comedies to rousing biopics.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 19 Sep. 2025
Each performance arrives with a sense of reinvention — not unlike Hepburn, whose leap from screwball comedies in the 1930s to searing dramas in the 1960s charted an artistic evolution rarely equaled in Hollywood.
—Clayton Davis, Variety, 30 Aug. 2025
Noun
The fortunate among us, however, graduated from shots to sips and learned that agave plants in the hands of a master tequilero or mezcalero lead to Mexican treasures as unassailable as Fernando Valenzuela’s screwball.
—Todd Harmonson, Oc Register, 4 Aug. 2025
The delivery sequences are almost Sean Baker-esque in their depictions of the ways that poverty can turn the simplest of errands into a screwball comedy when everything seems to go wrong for you at every minute of the day.
—Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 30 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for screwball
Recent Examples of Synonyms for screwball
Adjective
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The brazen, silly grandeur of the piece was astounding.—
David Denby,
New Yorker,
10 Nov. 2025
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The Saturday Night Live alum's vast tattoo collection, at one point made up of around 200 pieces of body art, includes ink dedicated to his former girlfriends, as well as more silly, lighthearted designs.—
Nicholas Rice,
PEOPLE,
9 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Appealing to consumers searching for a piece of history, the store has gained a following of visitors hunting for unique souvenirs, designers on inspiration trips and local eccentrics.—
Angela Velasquez,
Sourcing Journal,
24 Oct. 2025
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For Mimi Pond, the desire to do a book about the Mitford sisters – six larger-than-life British eccentrics (and one brother) who created a stir in both British and American culture – was obvious.—
Erik Pedersen,
Oc Register,
5 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The combination of absurd temperatures, damp humidity, and having my hair stick to my neck daily was driving me insane.—
Kayla Greaves,
Essence,
6 Nov. 2025
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Plus, who doesn’t love Nick Offerman sharing the screen with absurd facial hair?—
Daniel Fienberg,
HollywoodReporter,
6 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Phillips croons about a mother’s bond with her child as Swinton walks off, her character freshly wrecked by a visit with her son in prison.—
Shirley Li,
The Atlantic,
6 Nov. 2025
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Most of your favorite characters, including Will, are returning, too — just not the same actors.—
Nick Romano,
Entertainment Weekly,
6 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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What gave me the crazy idea to stand at the bar, listening to that woman being praised for her stupid f---ing commitment to New York City and her ugly f---ing buildings?—
Charlotte Phillipp,
PEOPLE,
7 Nov. 2025
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Her mechanism for luring victims involves a stick, someone’s hair, her blood, and another person stupid enough to let her through their front door.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
6 Nov. 2025
Noun
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The shows share a preoccupation with the heroic potential of oddballs and burnouts, one that has kept Horses galloping for five seasons (and two more are in the works).—
Judy Berman,
Time,
29 Oct. 2025
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While tonally jumbled and at times violently jarring, the movie delivers strange vibes and extremely strong performances from Jesse Plemons at his oddball finest and Emma Stone, who may or may not be from our planet.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
29 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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That was questionable, but not egregiously foolish, in our view, because of the limited amount of time left.—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
3 Nov. 2025
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Another agent pointed to how contractions in post-strike, post-pandemic Hollywood have decimated the theater business, creating new opportunities that Netflix would be foolish to pass up.—
Chris Lee,
Vulture,
3 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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His votes, like his tattoos, just weren’t insane enough anymore.—
Howie Carr,
Boston Herald,
7 Nov. 2025
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His voice messages of songs are amazing and insane.—
Kristin Robinson,
Billboard,
6 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Screwball.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/screwball. Accessed 17 Nov. 2025.
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