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
John Shea, San Francisco Chronicle, 16 Apr. 2022
But that was neither showboating nor talking trash.
—Dalton Ross, EW.com, 1 Apr. 2020
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
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
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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Students showed off their animals on Saturday at the Bastrop Area Livestock Show on Saturday at the Ken Estepp Show Barn in Bastrop.—
Austin American Statesman,
Austin American Statesman,
9 Mar. 2026
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After all, these pants are the best silhouette to show off your footwear.—
Lina-Marie Baatz,
Glamour,
9 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Typically set in the mid-to-late-1800s on the American frontier, these films often feature characters who make their own rules, from bounty hunters and cowboys to outlaws in lawless territories.—
Sezin Devi Keohler,
Entertainment Weekly,
7 Mar. 2026
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Chandler plays Hal Jordan, a former hotshot jet pilot and current cowboy cop Green Lantern.—
Bethy Squires,
Vulture,
4 Mar. 2026
Verb
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At one point, a member of the Revolutionary Guard came over to cut up Khamenei’s breakfast meat.—
Robin Wright,
New Yorker,
1 Mar. 2026
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Her voice is intimate and resonant, whether cut up into indistinct background flurries or pushed to the front of the mix.—
Alex Robert Ross,
Pitchfork,
13 Feb. 2026
Noun
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No matter what absurdities the Gemstones perpetrated or endured, the series always offered them second chances — and opportunities for performers like Edi Patterson, Walton Goggins, and McBride himself to go berserk.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
1 Dec. 2025
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There's one moment in the trailer that shows Wolverine slashing an enemy with multiple cuts before shoving his claws straight through his skull, confirming this game is going to embrace the violence and berserker rage of this character.—
Nick Romano,
Entertainment Weekly,
24 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Bevel was horsing around with the Reverend James Orange and Andy Young in the courtyard under King's balcony, according to Orange.—
Gail Sheehy,
Vanity Fair,
20 Feb. 2026
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But Andrew continued to live at the home and was often seen riding his horse around Windsor Great Park and photographed waving to crowds.—
Martha Ross,
Mercury News,
12 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The team is set to revel at E11EVEN MIAMI nightclub later in the night.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
23 Feb. 2026
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That is his and his players’ responsibility, but for everyone else involved with Palace, this was a day in which to revel.—
Matt Woosnam,
New York Times,
9 Feb. 2026
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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Bella Ramsey takes a break from killing zombies and avenging father figures, their usual pastimes in series The Last of Us, to fool around and fall in love in Sunny Dancer, a decidedly uneven but fitfully charming, YA-skewed British comedy-drama.—
Leslie Felperin,
HollywoodReporter,
13 Feb. 2026
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The transition was rough for Ansari, who wasn’t fluent in English and often got in trouble for fooling around in school.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Showboat.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/showboat. Accessed 12 Mar. 2026.
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