as in revels
to engage in attention-getting playful or boisterous behavior
the gymnast was showboating for the cameras when she lost her balance and fell
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for showboats
Verb
-
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 -
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
Noun
-
All these cowboys are starting to get along!—
William Earl,
Variety,
12 June 2026
-
Mexican and then Portuguese cowboys known as paniolos came to work here; later, agricultural workers arrived from China, Japan, Micronesia, and the Philippines.—
Julie Orringer,
Travel + Leisure,
9 June 2026
Verb
-
The new congressional map in Virginia effectively cuts up the state’s 11 House districts to give Democrats an advantage in 10 of them.—
Joseph Konig,
PEOPLE,
22 Apr. 2026
-
How to Prune Viburnum Use sharp hand pruners for smaller cuts up to the diameter of a pencil, and loppers or a pruning saw for larger cuts.—
Luke Miller,
Better Homes & Gardens,
7 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
One gallery shows off for the first time the complete treasure collection of King Tutankhamun (over 5,000 pieces) in a massive 7,500 square-meter exhibit.—
Michael Goldstein,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2026
-
GloRilla shows off her large array of tattoos in a completely open-back dress at the 52nd AMAs in Las Vegas on May 25.—
People Staff,
PEOPLE,
28 May 2026
Verb
-
Currently, Screen Time often acts up and just cuts off access to all apps, whether it’s supposed to or not.—
Tyler Hayes,
PC Magazine,
9 June 2026
-
Koutouvides transitioned to life after football, found success in real estate development throughout Connecticut, but the pain of losing the Super Bowl twinges and acts up like an old joint injury.—
Dom Amore,
Hartford Courant,
8 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
But if there is no clear-eyed accounting and address of the specific and systemic failings that led to so much loss last July 4, what happens the next time a flood roars through Texas Hill Country?—
Karen Valby,
Vanity Fair,
16 June 2026
-
Her presence is heralded not by the sounds of howls, roars or clanking chains, but by the shutting of the door to her study, the scrape of her chair as it is pulled towards her desk, and the clanking of her type-writer keys.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
9 June 2026
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.
Cite this Entry
“Showboats.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/showboats. Accessed 23 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
