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slapstick 1 of 2

noun

ˈslap-ˌstik How to pronounce slapstick (audio)
Definition of slapsticknext
1
as in comedy
humorous entertainment an actor whose roles range from slapstick to serious drama

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in clowning
wildly playful or mischievous behavior a lowbrow comedy that relies heavily on slapstick for its laughs

Synonyms & Similar Words

slapstick

2 of 2

adjective

as in zany

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

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 slapstick
Noun
But his profound reflections are punctuated by superb slapstick, slyly symbolic sleight-of-hand and, yes, some serious Shakespeare that make for an equally entertaining and thought-provoking hour. — Jared Kaufman, Twin Cities, 13 Aug. 2026 The film cannily tugs on the heartstrings, pulls off classic slapstick comedy and sneaks obscure film references into its visuals. — David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 12 Aug. 2026
Adjective
Tapping into the sporting zeitgeist, the slapstick animation, sees Daffy Duck confounded when Elmer Fudd fails to turn up for duck hunting season. — Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 22 June 2026 In Game 4, the trouble began just one minute into the game, with two soft foul calls on Karl-Anthony Towns, which kicked off 23 minutes of slapstick basketball. — Kyle Wagner, New York Daily News, 11 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for slapstick
Recent Examples of Synonyms for slapstick
  1. comedy
  2. clowning
  3. zany
  4. humor
  5. buffoonery
  6. clownish
  7. satire
  8. joking
Noun
  • Multiple stars of the hit Apple TV horror-comedy also took home acting Emmys, and creator Katie Dippold won outstanding writing for a comedy series.
    — Joe Murphy, NBC news, 19 Sep. 2026
  • Hosting Snapple’s revival party was Davidson and Jost’s own comeback project to replenish the New York comedy scene, taking the form of a floating, popsicle-orange vessel.
    — Antonio Ferme, Variety, 19 Sep. 2026
Definition of comedy
Noun
  • On paper, the script didn’t seem that funny, and the looseness of it all — the clowning, the lack of a traditional plot structure — seemed kind of slapdash.
    — Victor Garber, Vulture, 17 Sep. 2026
  • The clowning might be a little too effortful.
    — Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 13 May 2026
Definition of clowning
Adjective
  • Curry went on to a successful, varied career, immediately seeking a departure from the zany role with which he’d become identified.
    — Lisa de los Reyes, HollywoodReporter, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Big Brother has certainly had a zany cast of characters over the years, but the characters that really matter are the casts themselves.
    — Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 4 June 2026
Definition of zany
Noun
  • Abrams is fantastic as the bumbling protagonist, and Cregger injects a healthy dose of humor, gore, Easter eggs, and scares into the new adaptation.
    — Savannah Salazar, Vulture, 18 Sep. 2026
  • While audiences will find plenty of humor in this film, its subject matter is serious—as is Wilson.
    — Lila Allen, Architectural Digest, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of humor
Noun
  • Still, there's a remarkable level of buffoonery in his analysis.
    — Bobby Burack OutKick, FOXNews.com, 4 Aug. 2026
  • The show, with its interest in corporate buffoonery, doesn’t quite manage to hand-wave away the queasy implications.
    — Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 27 Mar. 2026
Definition of buffoonery
Adjective
  • The composure of Amélie, and the decidedly wild and clownish manner in which she’s painted, can’t be tamed into order, elegance, or beauty.
    — Zachary Fine, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026
  • In each of those projects, Johnson created a role for himself, typically a clownish dreamer.
    — Laurie Ochoa, Los Angeles Times, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of clownish
Noun
  • The material provided her in a Shirley Temple spoof was a sophomoric attempt at satire that got its laughs with pointed needling rather than subtle jabbing.
    — Hank Grant, HollywoodReporter, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Beavis and Butt-Head function as a note-perfect satire of teenage confidence and idiocy, but the sharpness of the writing has always belied the bottom-of-the-barrel intellect of its title characters.
    — Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of satire
Noun
  • Arch Manning's joking comments at a news conference about a fake video of coach Steve Sarkisian slapping ESPN reporter Holly Rowe erupted in controversy.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 17 Sep. 2026
  • Indeed, at lunch, instead of separating into groups to eat, all 16 participants form one mega table and spend the half-hour joking and laughing together.
    — Ellise Shafer, Variety, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of joking

Browse Nearby Words

slaps down
slapstick
slapsticks
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Cite this Entry

“Slapstick.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/slapstick. Accessed 24 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on slapstick

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about slapstick

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