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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of showboat
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
John Shea, San Francisco Chronicle, 16 Apr. 2022
But that was neither showboating nor talking trash.
—Dalton Ross, EW.com, 1 Apr. 2020
See All Example Sentences for showboat
Verb
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
Noun
Don’t showboat around the bases.
—John Shea, San Francisco Chronicle, 16 Apr. 2022
But that was neither showboating nor talking trash.
—Dalton Ross, EW.com, 1 Apr. 2020
See All Example Sentences for showboat
Recent Examples of Synonyms for showboat
Verb
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The clip jumps between a bedroom, a record store, a disco, and even a basketball court, and sees all seven members of the South Korean boy band – RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V, and Jung Kook — showing off tight choreography, for which they are known.—
Hugh McIntyre,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
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Barker included a photo of Rocky — who was wearing a T-shirt and green and white sweatpants — showing off his curiosity by looking up at a sign of what appeared to be a yeti.—
Charna Flam,
People.com,
11 Sep. 2025
Noun
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For the past few weeks, he’s been embroiled in a back-and-forth feud with cowboy singer Charley Crockett.—
Joseph Hudak,
Rolling Stone,
13 Sep. 2025
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The pair showed off their playful side by dressing as ninjas for a Halloween Instagram post in 2023 and later decked out in cowboy-and-cowgirl outfits to celebrate her birthday in 2024.—
Nasha Smith,
PEOPLE,
13 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The statue of Abraham Lincoln by Mount Rushmore creator Gutzon Borglum was cut up to be sold for its silver content, according to the Ascension Parish Sheriff’s Office in Louisiana.—
Mark Price,
Miami Herald,
12 Sep. 2025
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Born Drew Desbordes, Druski, 30, is a long way from the kid who spent his time at the dinner table cutting up.—
CT Jones,
Rolling Stone,
4 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Rather than rely on simplistic caricature, Jude tells this story of Eastern European economic expansion, berserk nationalism, and the inability to create meaningful change with crushing relatability.—
Jill Goldsmith,
Deadline,
5 Aug. 2025
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What followed was a moment of berserk that spiraled into this career-altering incident.—
Devlina Sarkar,
MSNBC Newsweek,
16 July 2025
Verb
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Running or horsing around with sparklers can also cause injuries and burns when users trip and fall.—
Justin Laube,
EverydayHealth.com,
2 July 2025
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Heath Ryan, who represented Australia in dressage at the 2008 Olympics, can be seen in the video – which the rider said is about two years old – hitting a horse around 40 times.—
Matias Grez,
CNN Money,
13 June 2025
Verb
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Gattuso reveled as his side broke the deadlock when Moise Kean headed in Mateo Retegui’s flick-on in the 58th minute.—
David Ferrini,
Forbes.com,
5 Sep. 2025
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And there are the neighbors who revel at the many nicknames coined for the spot.—
Lauren Brensel,
Sun Sentinel,
17 July 2025
Verb
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Send any news, comments, Meta predictions, or Costco hotdogs to talk@qz.com.—
Francisco Velasquez,
Quartz,
3 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Gisin hopes that by fooling around with measurements of these more exotic states, physicists will come to better understand the role of measurement in general.—
Quanta Magazine,
Quanta Magazine,
8 Aug. 2025
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Those have come from two players: Adrian Morejon of the San Diego Padres, who throws an odd knuckleball-changeup hybrid about 1 percent of the time, and Jonah Bride of the Minnesota Twins, an infielder fooling around with the knuckler in blowouts.—
Cody Stavenhagen,
New York Times,
19 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Showboat.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/showboat. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
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