SCREWBALL Synonyms: 177 Similar and Opposite Words

screwball 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of screwball

as in silly

showing or marked by a lack of good sense or judgment she's always off on some screwball plan

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

screwball

2 of 2

noun

ˈskrü-ˌbȯl

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

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of screwball

Adjective

On the New Jersey artist’s debut album, a steady stream of screwball ideas coalesce into unexpectedly existential laptop twee gems. — Nick Ayres Demasi, Pitchfork, 1 July 2026 The alternately suspenseful and silly scene nicely sets up the tone for this new season, which is infused with references to classic Westerns as much as screwball comedies. — David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 1 June 2026

Noun

The alternately suspenseful and silly scene nicely sets up the tone for this new season, which is infused with references to classic Westerns as much as screwball comedies. — David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 1 June 2026 This is especially apparent in scenes with multiple characters speaking, recalling 1930s American screwball comedies with a dash of French realism. — Murtada Elfadl, Variety, 19 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for screwball

Recent Examples of Synonyms for screwball

Adjective

The feds gave the state a silly 48-hour deadline to agree to change constitutional law, dump common sense and sequester these 20,000 ballots, if they were even returned, to double-check they were cast by valid voters.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 20 Oct. 2026
Performed by legends Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke, the silly song is a tongue-twister for kiddos, and the titular word, which means ‘extraordinarily good, wonderful’ even made its way into some real deal dictionaries.

— Stephanie Ganz Published, Parents, 18 Oct. 2026

Definition of silly

Noun

Step inside, though, and you’re transported to a bucolic Britain of rolling hills and village greens, bumbling eccentrics and cute, clever farm animals.

— Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 22 Oct. 2026
The professionalization worked, but at the expense of the site’s internal culture, Cooke argues, as generous eccentrics were displaced by neurotic lovers of rules.

— Julian Lucas, New Yorker, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of eccentric

Adjective

But also, the audience is not used to people delivering blunt questions — no matter how stupid the answer.

— Jade Tran, Washington Post, 19 Oct. 2026
Pierce and Kember were born in the same place on the same day, a lore-enhancing coincidence too stupid to make up.

— Gabriel Szatan, Pitchfork, 18 Oct. 2026

Definition of stupid

Noun

The Johnson County pastor and the former rural doctor traded condemnations, repeatedly turning policy questions into opportunities to cast doubt on each other’s character and fitness for office.

— Matthew Kelly, Kansas City Star, 22 Oct. 2026
Stretch fabrics have sleek constructions without the bulky appearance of conventional stretch denim, and mechanical stretch fabrics offer big, open twills and rigid character.

— Angela Velasquez, Footwear News, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of character

Adjective

As insufferable and absurd as that was, Murphy continued in the middle of the 2026 season, acting like his team's biggest division rival had also not heard of his players who were currently in first place.

— Ian Miller OutKick, FOXNews.com, 18 Oct. 2026
But its ludicrous potential price tag isn’t the only absurd thing.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of absurd

Noun

Fittingly, Gentling the Horse’s overriding theme is a fascination with the oddballs who scrape by on the fringes of capitalist society.

— Zach Schonfeld, Pitchfork, 26 Oct. 2026
The general trivia and straight clues are also tough, and there’s a good amount of novelty, including 11 debut entries, a few oddballs among them, and one utterly brutal misdirect that significantly spiced up my solving experience.

— Caitlin Lovinger, New York Times, 17 Oct. 2026

Definition of oddball

Noun

For Netflix, the pact is part of a wider effort to supplement its originals with more licensed programming from outside producers.

— Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 22 Oct. 2026
From demolition to a bigger mission The church now plans to build a sanctuary twice the size of the original, with room to expand its community outreach.

— Marvin Hurst, CBS News, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of original

Browse Nearby Words

screw around

screwball

screwballs

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Cite this Entry

Style

“Screwball.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/screwball. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of screwball

adjective

noun

Example Sentences

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