1
as in comedy
humorous entertainment
an actor whose roles range from slapstick to serious drama
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in clowning
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
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
Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 2 Apr. 2026
Ditto Dor, a former ballerina who pitches her character’s upwardly mobile striver somewhere between sultry slapstick and interpretive dance.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 28 Mar. 2026
Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Mar. 2026
Nearly 50 years after its release, the ZAZ production is still considered one of the best comedies ever made with every slapstick scene and quotable Leslie Nielsen line as stunningly funny on the 20th viewing as the first.
—Rachel Simon, Vulture, 6 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for slapstick
Noun
The film, which debuted on Netflix April 1, deploys a deliberately eccentric tone, mixing slapstick, satire and spy-thriller tropes with Das’ irreverent comedic sensibility.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 2 Apr. 2026
Ditto Dor, a former ballerina who pitches her character’s upwardly mobile striver somewhere between sultry slapstick and interpretive dance.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 28 Mar. 2026
Adjective
There’s also some slapstick comic bits that add little to the story.
—Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Mar. 2026
Nearly 50 years after its release, the ZAZ production is still considered one of the best comedies ever made with every slapstick scene and quotable Leslie Nielsen line as stunningly funny on the 20th viewing as the first.
—Rachel Simon, Vulture, 6 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for slapstick
Recent Examples of Synonyms for slapstick
Noun
-
In the 2026 Netflix comedy-thriller How to Get to Heaven from Belfast, Irish is used as a private code, deployed in front of an English speaker who cannot understand it.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
4 May 2026
-
Because floaty comedy is easier for people to take.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
4 May 2026
Noun
-
As the race unfolds in real time, there’s clowning, collisions, sabotage, surprises, comedy, chaos and more.—
Pam Kragen,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
13 Apr. 2026
-
Comedy and clowning are ways Zaalan has connected with their homeland after the Syrian revolution.—
Candace Hansen,
Los Angeles Times,
1 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The peculiarities of these heartbreak goggles fueled a zany Saturday Night Live sketch, a standout from last night’s solid episode that saw Olivia Rodrigo doing double duty as host and musical guest.—
Paula Mejía,
The Atlantic,
3 May 2026
-
Your task is to set the fastest time through zany courses set in and around parking garages.—
Adam Ismail,
The Drive,
29 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
However, some people use dark humor to cope with tragedy or fears surrounding a health crisis, and still exhibit emotional intelligence or empathy in their interpersonal relationships or other parts of their lives.—
Alyssa Goldberg,
USA Today,
7 May 2026
-
Blending humor, heart and a contemporary perspective, the film explores the tension between aspiration and reality through a distinctly Latino lens—delivering a timely, emotionally resonant story that expands Telemundo’s storytelling into new formats and audiences.—
Armando Tinoco,
Deadline,
7 May 2026
Noun
-
The president has long bristled at the otherwise customary joking at his expense by celebrity comedians.—
Dennis Romero,
NBC news,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Here opposites — classy and brassy — are distractions, with odd-couple joking substituting for something more substantial.—
Frank Rizzo,
Variety,
23 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The Black characters that appeared on-screen closely resembled the clownish stereotypes popularized by the minstrels.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
25 Mar. 2026
-
The clownish dance is a Fortnite video game gesture, and involves making an L shape with fingers, pressing it to one’s forehead, then high kicking from side to side.—
Mark Price,
Charlotte Observer,
5 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Aster, whose satire Eddington premiered at Cannes last year, and his partner Lars Knudsen will produce through their Square Peg banner.—
Justin Kroll,
Deadline,
6 May 2026
-
This week’s Independent Press Top 40 Bestsellers for fiction and nonfiction • The 27 books out in paperback this month • Is satire really dead?—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
1 May 2026
Noun
-
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
-
Receivers have cratered seasons with me-over-we buffoonery.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
19 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Slapstick.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/slapstick. Accessed 11 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
