as in to show off
to engage in attention-getting playful or boisterous behavior
the gymnast was showboating for the cameras when she lost her balance and fell
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Recent Examples of showboat
Vulture Editors, Vulture, 31 July 2024
Don’t showboat around the bases.
—John Shea, San Francisco Chronicle, 16 Apr. 2022
Kevin Rector, Los Angeles Times, 21 Nov. 2024
Fonseca found Barbosa to be a showboat on Instagram, sure, but also unfailingly polite and generous.
—Lauren Smiley, WIRED, 10 July 2024
See All Example Sentences for showboat
Verb
Not even the biggest skeptic of American exceptionalism could deny the talent gap, which has often been so considerable that U.S. teams often take the opportunity to showboat during games, like the Harlem Globetrotters playing against the hapless Washington Generals.
—Vulture Editors, Vulture, 31 July 2024
Don’t showboat around the bases.
—John Shea, San Francisco Chronicle, 16 Apr. 2022
Noun
Still, the factor that may have been most harmful were his relationships with fellow Republican lawmakers, who regarded him as an empty showboat willing to hurt the party to gain attention.
—Kevin Rector, Los Angeles Times, 21 Nov. 2024
Fonseca found Barbosa to be a showboat on Instagram, sure, but also unfailingly polite and generous.
—Lauren Smiley, WIRED, 10 July 2024
See All Example Sentences for showboat
Recent Examples of Synonyms for showboat
Verb
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In its first international friendly since March, the US showed off slick offense in a 3-2 win over Senegal in Charlotte, North Carolina, on May 31.—
Jim Sciutto,
CNN Money,
8 June 2026
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Airbnb Experiences offers hands-on activities in thousands of cities, and Showaround matches you with locals who simply want to show off their city.—
Hanna Wickes,
Miami Herald,
8 June 2026
Noun
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This has resulted in these two states also having the most Black cowboys, LeBlanc says—like legendary Oklahoma cowboy Bass Reeves, who served as deputy marshal in Oklahoma Territory during the late 19th century, said to have inspired The Lone Ranger.—
Arati Menon,
Condé Nast Traveler,
7 June 2026
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Think shows that include Argentine cowboys known as gauchos, Brazilian samba dancers, West African (Moko Jumbie) stilt walkers.—
Madeleine Marr,
Miami Herald,
6 June 2026
Verb
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Using unseen footage from Presley’s 1969 to 1976 Las Vegas residency, the movie plays the hits – plus The Beatles and Simon & Garfunkel – but also showcases his sense of humor, quipping with crowds and cutting up with bandmates.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
12 June 2026
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And so they were cut up into pieces.—
Michael Soncin,
Vanity Fair,
9 June 2026
Noun
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Every four years, soccer fans around the globe go berserk over the World Cup, but in host cities like Los Angeles, the worldwide spectacle feels bittersweet and financially out of reach.—
Andrea Flores,
Los Angeles Times,
8 June 2026
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Peer in on the New York team making a medium-to-deep run in the playoffs as every New Yorker in your life goes berserk.—
Alex Kirshner,
New York Times,
16 May 2026
Verb
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Ortiz navigated past 17 other horses around the final turn and made a hard charge down the stretch.—
Stephen Whyno,
The Orlando Sentinel,
3 May 2026
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Ortiz navigated past 17 other horses around the final turn and made a hard charge down the stretch.—
Stephen Whyno,
Chicago Tribune,
2 May 2026
Verb
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The pair sequester themselves in a shed while guests revel outside in the sunshine.—
Inkoo Kang,
New Yorker,
24 Apr. 2026
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Nebraska fans with seats around the tunnel spotted them, because thousands of Nebraska fans were still in their seats, reveling, the music still thumping in the arena, as if some kind of encore would be happening.—
Joe Rexrode,
New York Times,
22 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Send any news, comments, Meta predictions, or Costco hotdogs to [email protected].—
Francisco Velasquez,
Quartz,
3 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Another horny couple on vacation couldn’t wait until their flight landed to fool around and insisted on doing so in the plane's cabin.—
Sean Joseph OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
27 Apr. 2026
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And this fool is taking it with the fools around him.—
KiMi Robinson,
USA Today,
30 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Showboat.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/showboat. Accessed 13 Jun. 2026.
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