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 hijinks
wildly playful or mischievous behavior
a lowbrow comedy that relies heavily on slapstick for its laughs
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in zany
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of slapstick
Alison Herman, Variety, 31 July 2025
Like the opera, the film blends these disparate moods and tones at a whirlwind tempo: slapstick comedy and poignant melodrama, graceful lyricism and bumptious braggadocio, witty satire and bitter tragedy.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 30 July 2025
But while fans are still laughing at the slapstick chaos and nostalgic callbacks, Justin Thomas had a different kind of reaction -- one that came with a wink and a warning.
—Devlina Sarkar, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 July 2025
With Rip Torn hurling wrenches at people and Christine Taylor rejecting Stiller’s pathetic advances, this slapstick comedy checks every box of the sports-movie formula and does it pretty damn well.
—Tim Grierson, Vulture, 25 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for slapstick
Adjective
On the other hand, the slapstick of Leanne attempting Zumba or Pilates helps widen Morgan’s comedic range, showing a talent for slapstick as well as a turn of phrase.
—Alison Herman, Variety, 31 July 2025
Like the opera, the film blends these disparate moods and tones at a whirlwind tempo: slapstick comedy and poignant melodrama, graceful lyricism and bumptious braggadocio, witty satire and bitter tragedy.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 30 July 2025
But while fans are still laughing at the slapstick chaos and nostalgic callbacks, Justin Thomas had a different kind of reaction -- one that came with a wink and a warning.
—Devlina Sarkar, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 July 2025
With Rip Torn hurling wrenches at people and Christine Taylor rejecting Stiller’s pathetic advances, this slapstick comedy checks every box of the sports-movie formula and does it pretty damn well.
—Tim Grierson, Vulture, 25 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for slapstick
Recent Examples of Synonyms for slapstick
Noun
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Paramount Pictures’ reboot/sequel of the comedy film series The Naked Gun is projected by Deadline to earn $8.1 million in its second weekend from 3,363 locations.—
Tim Lammers,
Forbes.com,
9 Aug. 2025
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These are the words her character, Dr. Tess Coleman, yelled out the car window to her daughter Anna (Lindsay Lohan) in the 2003 body-swap comedy Freaky Friday.—
Angie Martoccio,
Rolling Stone,
7 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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After guest-starring on an episode of Happy Days in 1978, Williams' zany character proved so popular that ABC cast him as the lead a year later on the spinoff Mork & Mindy, opposite Pam Dawber as his human love interest Mindy McConnell.—
Nate Jones,
People.com,
11 Aug. 2025
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The movie is possibly loud and colorful and zany and kooky and busy enough to mask the desperation in a script that shows little imagination for the psychological hurdles of people from three different generations struggling to understand one another.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
5 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Despite that apprehension, No Hard Feelings is still a carefree project, filled with humor and levity while touching on the deep universality of love, heartbreak, and new beginnings.—
Julyssa Lopez,
Rolling Stone,
6 Aug. 2025
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Bronstein’s breathless, pressure-cooker visual approach and Byrne’s fearlessly committed performance (which earned her the Silver Bear at this year’s Berlinale) contribute to a full-throttle film that depicts life as a series of never-ending fires—without losing its sense of fanciful humor.—
Jill Goldsmith,
Deadline,
5 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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In part, because there was something fascinating about the clownish way their once cutting-edge images no longer fit.—
IndieWire Staff,
IndieWire,
16 Aug. 2025
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Joining Proctor in court was Meatball Morrissey’s clownish prosecutor, Adam Lally.—
Howie Carr,
Boston Herald,
6 Aug. 2025
Noun
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But the satire doesn’t work, because the Republicans are afforded a nuance never given to Sophie and her idiot Democrat husband.—
CT Jones,
Rolling Stone,
11 Aug. 2025
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The action satire, which stars Liam Neeson and Pamela Anderson, picked up $8.3 million in its second weekend, bringing its North American haul to $33 million.—
Brent Lang,
Variety,
10 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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More Getty Images What made his Saturday round at Sedgefield Country Club more amusing was the birdie surge.—
Devlina Sarkar,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Aug. 2025
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Also, the British themselves are generally strange and amusing.—
Jackson McHenry,
Vulture,
29 July 2025
Noun
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Stewart’s switch from his usual snark to imitate Colbert’s buffoonery proved how spiteful and irreligious political humor has become since the left’s worship of Barack Obama and subsequent persecution of President Trump.—
Armond White,
National Review,
25 July 2025
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The other person who spoke in South Carolina, Tim Walz, is a special mixture of extreme buffoonery and a mean spirit, which is a toxic brew.—
Jenny Goldsberry,
The Washington Examiner,
1 June 2025
Adjective
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Jim, Mike, Joe and Bill were The Dooley Brothers band, as entertaining and durable as any band in the city’s musical history.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
19 Aug. 2025
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Quarterback Haynes King and running back Jamal Haynes lead a very entertaining rushing attack, and Georgia Tech brings back the man pulling the strings on offense, coordinator Buster Faulkner.—
Antonio Morales,
New York Times,
19 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Slapstick.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/slapstick. Accessed 22 Aug. 2025.
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