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
There was an element of slapstick about Bournemouth’s second, with Justin Kluivert’s strike bouncing off the post and Lukas Hornicek’s before Scott’s follow-up cross looped agonisingly into the net off the outstretched foot of Malick Thiaw. — Chris Waugh, New York Times, 5 Sep. 2026 With its slapstick mayhem and goofball charm, the film's oddball recruits defied the odds to become a smash at the box office. — Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 3 Sep. 2026
Adjective
Don Adams led the slapstick spy spoof as the brainy but hopelessly incompetent Agent Smart, starring alongside Barbara Feldon as the ever-capable Agent 99. — Jack Dunn, Variety, 9 Sep. 2026 Clive Ibizugbe, who operates under the pseudonym Big Groove, ate his way through the city, sharing the journey in his slapstick style with more than 2 million followers. — Lyndsay C. Green, Freep.com, 30 Aug. 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
  • There’s also the shifting relationship between tech and comedy.
    — Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 24 Oct. 2026
  • The film is a wild, frequently grotesque spectacle that careens between horror, action, slapstick, and black comedy.
    — Lisa Wong Macabasco, Vogue, 23 Oct. 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
  • After all, as observed in a recent article in New York magazine about clowning, stupidity is powerful resistance.
    — New York Times, New York Times, 24 June 2026
Definition of clowning
Adjective
  • As a vocalist, Rose has never sounded zanier or more frenzied.
    — Zach Schonfeld, Pitchfork, 26 Oct. 2026
  • 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
Definition of zany
Noun
  • Now, Gomez finds humor in the video and even some pride in how unapologetically endearing her teenage self was.
    — Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 30 Oct. 2026
  • Their performances — at London’s West End in 2009 and on New York’s Broadway in 2013-14 — were praised for their humor and comedy.
    — Marlene Lenthang, NBC news, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of humor
Noun
  • Irwin knows how to clown an audience, and in this enjoyable, broadly comic interpretation, the buffoonery is at least as much the point as some pointed critiques of modern-day American health care.
    — Greg Evans, Deadline, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Trump’s quarter millennial—featuring overt buffoonery and historic grifting as neighbors—was characteristic of his two presidencies.
    — Ta-Nehisi Coates, Vanity Fair, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of buffoonery
Adjective
  • Though Lyons’s clownish sensibilities are central to The Woman on the Edge, the show isn’t purely clown, integrating other forms and techniques, from contemporary dance to film reenactment.
    — Georgie McKeon, Vulture, 5 Oct. 2026
  • This is our introduction to He and She, two clownish, pugilistic lovers who are locked in a war of words, even as a literal war rages outside.
    — Emily Nussbaum, New Yorker, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of clownish
Noun
  • The host was once positioned as an irreverent comedian whose political satire was guided by his no-BS take on Capitol Hill and American culture.
    — Lorraine Ali, Los Angeles Times, 28 Oct. 2026
  • Whether developing a series pitch or sitting around sharing stories, Kevin brought the wit, the funny, the satire.
    — Pat Saperstein, Variety, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of satire
Noun
  • As the audience applauded, Stewart launched into his joking eulogy.
    — Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Oct. 2026
  • Russell was mentioned in that speech, but in a joking way, playing off of how frequent Oscars director Glenn Weiss, who won for his role helming the 2018 Academy Awards telecast, had used his speech to propose to his then-girlfriend.
    — Hilary Lewis, HollywoodReporter, 9 Oct. 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 5 Nov. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on slapstick

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about slapstick

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