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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of screwball
David Fear, Rolling Stone, 15 Oct. 2025
Her feature screenplay The Healing News of June was named Faculty Selects at Columbia University’s Film Festival and BCDF Pictures (To Leslie, The Hating Game) is attached to produce her screwball rom com feature, Slab Serif.
—Matt Grobar, Deadline, 15 Oct. 2025
Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 29 Nov. 2025
Much more effective than all that strained screwball is the drama of Ron on the sidelines with Jay’s longtime personal publicist Liz (Laura Dern), busy putting out fires.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 28 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for screwball
Adjective
Hawke sells all of Hart’s delusions, destructive impulses, and high-velocity downward spirals with an energy that keeps this bitchy, old-school collection of bon mots and screwball bickering moving along nicely.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 15 Oct. 2025
Her feature screenplay The Healing News of June was named Faculty Selects at Columbia University’s Film Festival and BCDF Pictures (To Leslie, The Hating Game) is attached to produce her screwball rom com feature, Slab Serif.
—Matt Grobar, Deadline, 15 Oct. 2025
Noun
In practice, zero of its emotional resonance comes from this storyline and 100 percent comes from Judy and Nick’s bond, which takes the shape of a bickering screwball rom-com couple.
—Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 29 Nov. 2025
Much more effective than all that strained screwball is the drama of Ron on the sidelines with Jay’s longtime personal publicist Liz (Laura Dern), busy putting out fires.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 28 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for screwball
Recent Examples of Synonyms for screwball
Adjective
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To say the road to the Super Bowl goes through Jacksonville sounds silly in the NFL’s grand scheme, but for a talented and decorated Bills group that never has won there, that’s the first stop on the quest.—
Tim Graham,
New York Times,
6 Jan. 2026
-
Citing the Monroe Doctrine is silly.—
U T Readers,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
6 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Also, Joan Cusack plays an infamous local eccentric, and a fictional pop star shows up!—
Mary Sollosi,
Entertainment Weekly,
15 Dec. 2025
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The logger and railsplitter occasionally encounters American eccentrics, like a chatty drifter prone to sporting bible verses and an old coot of a demolitions expert with a philosophical bent.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
23 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
After the first Roundtable, Survivor stalwart Rob Cesternino — perhaps clued in by Candiace’s absurd conga line ploy to get people out of the kitchen — sniffed out that a murder in plain sight could be happening.—
Dalton Ross,
Entertainment Weekly,
9 Jan. 2026
-
Contrary to what many may think, the researchers found no correlation between a person’s level of education and their capacity to believe in absurd conspiracies.—
Joe Wilkins Published Jan 8,
Futurism,
8 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Gyles Brandreth, broadcaster, former MP and friend to Christopher Robin Milne, opened up about the man behind the character while chatting with Joe Sibilia on Nostalgia Tonight.—
Angela Andaloro,
PEOPLE,
10 Jan. 2026
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That idea of shiny surfaces is key to Cathy’s character and costumes.—
Radhika Seth,
Vogue,
10 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
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
-
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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In the meantime, the team continues to search for similar objects to determine whether Cloud-9 is an oddball or part of a larger cohort of relics.—
Ashley Strickland,
CNN Money,
8 Jan. 2026
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Eight years later, Russ makes a last-chance gambit to resurrect his football dreams by disguising himself as Chad Powers, a talented oddball who walks on to the struggling South Georgia Catfish team.—
Angelique Jackson,
Variety,
3 Dec. 2025
Adjective
-
To do a lot less foolish, thoughtless, stupid, idiotic things.—
Gwen Faulkenberry,
Arkansas Online,
8 Jan. 2026
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No one should be defending activists who engage in the most foolish and dangerous actions!—
DP Opinion,
Denver Post,
8 Jan. 2026
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 11 Jan. 2026.
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