1
as in comedy
humorous entertainment
an actor whose roles range from slapstick to serious drama
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
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
Travis Bean, Forbes.com, 6 Sep. 2025
The level of mayhem feels perfectly ripped from the films, especially the recent Daniel Craig tenure, although with some more ludicrous feats that harken back to the slapstick elements of earlier entries.
—Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 3 Sep. 2025
Dade Hayes, Deadline, 13 Aug. 2025
The movie, which has since become a holiday season staple with its slapstick comedy, launched Culkin into a singular kind of fame.
—Anna Kaufman, USA Today, 8 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for slapstick
Noun
What follows is a delightful mix of slapstick comedy (a bathtub scene that ranks among the best physical comedy of the decade), whimsical set pieces, and a genuinely touching story about belonging.
—Travis Bean, Forbes.com, 6 Sep. 2025
The level of mayhem feels perfectly ripped from the films, especially the recent Daniel Craig tenure, although with some more ludicrous feats that harken back to the slapstick elements of earlier entries.
—Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 3 Sep. 2025
Adjective
Cartuna launched its distribution arm last year with a focus on Blu-ray discs, among them the period slapstick comedy Hundreds of Beavers.
—Dade Hayes, Deadline, 13 Aug. 2025
The movie, which has since become a holiday season staple with its slapstick comedy, launched Culkin into a singular kind of fame.
—Anna Kaufman, USA Today, 8 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for slapstick
Recent Examples of Synonyms for slapstick
Noun
-
Advertisement Despite his predominance in the comedy sector, the Emmys presented a high-stakes challenge for an entertainer in the midst of a big push to escape that box.—
Judy Berman,
Time,
15 Sep. 2025
-
The Studio Ends Big Night With Record Wins Seth Rogen closed out a huge night for Apple TV+’s The Studio, which won best comedy.—
Toni Fitzgerald,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
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
-
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
-
The film’s humor doesn’t necessarily translate, and the animation style doesn’t come close to the medium’s most artistic work.—
Peter Debruge,
Variety,
12 Sep. 2025
-
The humor barely masks his fear.—
JP Mangalindan,
Time,
12 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Finally, after plenty of clowning, Taylor Swift has revealed that her 12th album is on the way, titled The Life of a Showgirl.—
Tom Smyth,
Vulture,
13 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
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
-
Joining Proctor in court was Meatball Morrissey’s clownish prosecutor, Adam Lally.—
Howie Carr,
Boston Herald,
6 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Developer Arrowhead has characterized the game as a satire.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
12 Sep. 2025
-
What Castro depicts, in pointillist satire, is the way someone on the inside might come to agree.—
Jeremy Gordon,
The Atlantic,
12 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
When Peanut pulled his second escape act, his owners knew where to look and handled Peanut's disappearance in a joking manner.—
Michael Nied,
People.com,
2 Sep. 2025
-
Multiple outlets that examined the reporting identified the claim as unverified and labeled the story a hoax; Colbert had previously made a joking on-air reference to streaming platforms but had not announced any deal with Netflix.—
Megan Cartwright,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Fletcher and Jolly win audience love here, and Allen’s naked ambition to become sheriff is quite amusing.—
Pete Hammond,
Deadline,
8 Sep. 2025
-
This is amusing but understandable; in an era where commodity fetishism has turned analog, low-budget cinema into something aspirational, Jenkin has made no compromises for accessibility.—
Sam Bodrojan,
IndieWire,
7 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Slapstick.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/slapstick. Accessed 16 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share