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
David Sims, The Atlantic, 6 Mar. 2026
That’s priceless in a screwball murder movie in which everyone’s soul is for sale.
—Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 18 Feb. 2026
Jordan Hoffman, Vanity Fair, 16 Mar. 2026
That’s priceless in a screwball murder movie in which everyone’s soul is for sale.
—Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 18 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for screwball
Adjective
Yes, this is a script that figured a big-budget gangster-monster epic could also manage to fit a screwball buddy comedy.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 6 Mar. 2026
That’s priceless in a screwball murder movie in which everyone’s soul is for sale.
—Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 18 Feb. 2026
Noun
The screwball comedy is one of the great gifts that 1930s Hollywood gave us, but that genre didn’t win too many awards.
—Jordan Hoffman, Vanity Fair, 16 Mar. 2026
That’s priceless in a screwball murder movie in which everyone’s soul is for sale.
—Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 18 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for screwball
Recent Examples of Synonyms for screwball
Adjective
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Even though the percentages and point-system, along with simulcast rules, can seem silly and out of touch with creative and investment reality, CanCon made possible global hits like Crave and HBO’s hockey romance series Heated Rivalry.—
Dominic Patten,
Deadline,
21 May 2026
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That tension — something prosaic or silly culminating in something hilarious and transfixing — achieved what poor Vandenberg and her pratfalls could not.—
Anna Peele,
Vulture,
20 May 2026
Noun
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But what the New Yorker writer left behind is some of the finest prose of the 20th century, focusing primarily on the eccentrics, scalawags, seamen, and other denizens of New York’s dank corners.—
Air Mail,
Air Mail,
2 May 2026
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The town’s overflowing with charming Midwest eccentrics, including a cocky mayor (Henry Winkler) and a welcoming barkeep (Lena Headey).—
Randy Myers,
Mercury News,
15 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Most absurd of all is the notion that Trump specifically worries about being seen as indulging in frivolity during wartime.—
Jonathan Chait,
The Atlantic,
21 May 2026
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Cue a mordantly absurd scene where his chance to land a position in the administration hinges on him successfully retrieving a precious package from a muddy field behind enemy lines, which turns out to be a damp and recalcitrant cat.—
Jessica Kiang,
Variety,
20 May 2026
Noun
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The spinoff will feature Beth Dutton riding horses more frequently, a change from her character's past trauma.—
Bryan Alexander,
USA Today,
15 May 2026
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In an announcement video posted to social media, Martin was joined by characters from Sesame Street and the Muppets, with a cameo from BTS.—
Karina Tsui,
CNN Money,
14 May 2026
Adjective
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Directed by Nicolas Athane and Marco Nguyen, Jim Queen is a crass, profane, giddily stupid romp through a heap of stereotypes about gay life in Paris.—
Richard Lawson,
HollywoodReporter,
17 May 2026
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For the record, those students are not stupid.—
Hope Loudon,
The Orlando Sentinel,
17 May 2026
Noun
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Then there are oddballs – traction control – pretty rare in this class, alongside ABS, and a belt drive.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
11 May 2026
-
Wyck is an oddball — every town seems to have one.—
Maira Garcia,
Los Angeles Times,
1 May 2026
Adjective
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Let’s face it, life is full of foolish decisions.—
Jay Weissberg,
Variety,
14 May 2026
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Trump previously said his administration would have been foolish not to accept it.—
Trevor Hughes,
USA Today,
8 May 2026
Adjective
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In any other historical period, proposing such a career trajectory would’ve seemed mildly insane — like if Peter Buck had followed up Fables of the Reconstruction by producing Whitney Houston instead of the Feelies.—
Jon Dolan,
Rolling Stone,
14 May 2026
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For so much of the season, Rachel is low-key stoned, which can keep her at a remove, even when things are getting really insane.—
Kate Erbland,
IndieWire,
14 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Screwball.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/screwball. Accessed 23 May. 2026.
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