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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 26 May 2025
The Savannah Bananas took on the Firefighters (another team that has dance numbers in their playbook) in a game that was closer to a slapstick vaudeville act than a stodgy MLB game.
—Emily Curiel, Kansas City Star, 24 May 2025
Carmen and Benny both gain a level of cachet around campus for having (ostensibly) slept together, but the encounter itself is a slapstick disaster.
—Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 15 May 2025
Jam-packed with his absurd self-aware humor, the finale deviates from the show’s usual slapstick raunch with a rare tender moment between Jesse and his equally crude siblings, Judy (Edi Patterson) and Kelvin (Adam DeVine).
—Glenn Garner, Deadline, 4 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for slapstick
Noun
The structural collapse at the Skyview is in strong contention for the all-around best massacre of the series — featuring an ocean of slapstick visual effects and essential backstory that makes the core of the movie.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 26 May 2025
The Savannah Bananas took on the Firefighters (another team that has dance numbers in their playbook) in a game that was closer to a slapstick vaudeville act than a stodgy MLB game.
—Emily Curiel, Kansas City Star, 24 May 2025
Carmen and Benny both gain a level of cachet around campus for having (ostensibly) slept together, but the encounter itself is a slapstick disaster.
—Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 15 May 2025
Jam-packed with his absurd self-aware humor, the finale deviates from the show’s usual slapstick raunch with a rare tender moment between Jesse and his equally crude siblings, Judy (Edi Patterson) and Kelvin (Adam DeVine).
—Glenn Garner, Deadline, 4 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for slapstick
Recent Examples of Synonyms for slapstick
Noun
-
The Shane Gillis comedy Tires is at #3 now, back for season 3.—
Paul Tassi,
Forbes.com,
10 June 2025
-
Directed by Tina Romero, the delightful feature debut is a horror comedy chock-full of fun and meaningful ideas, most of which stop just short of fruition.—
Siddhant Adlakha,
Variety,
10 June 2025
Adjective
-
Details, many of them equally zany, are at hopruntours.com.—
Peter Rowe,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
6 June 2025
-
The zany song-and-dance number will include a safety spiel from Joe the Legal Weasel.—
Brady MacDonald,
Oc Register,
8 May 2025
Noun
-
Art and humor force us to break out of those rigid coordinates through laughter, critical thinking and refusing to conform, to consider the world in different ways.—
Holly Jones,
Variety,
9 June 2025
-
There’s plenty of humor also in individual thoughts on their biggest but frothiest hit.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
9 June 2025
Adjective
-
In the mountains of Papua New Guinea, researchers encountered a clownish creature perched on a log in a fern meadow, basking in the sun.—
Lauren Liebhaber,
Miami Herald,
22 Apr. 2025
-
The suit also paints a clownish portrait of the entrepreneur, portraying him as pompous, shameless, and untrustworthy.—
Rachel Corbett,
Vulture,
16 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Molly Smith Metzler’s new limited series is a sharp satire of wealth, and Devon is ready to get even with some billionaires.—
William Earl,
Variety,
10 June 2025
-
Of course, expect plenty of satire, jokes, and colorful characters, but also lots of carnage in the name of science and saving the galaxy from strange rifts and capitalism.—
Fran Ruiz,
Space.com,
10 June 2025
Adjective
-
The post prompted a chorus of amusing responses from commenters.—
Toria Sheffield,
People.com,
7 June 2025
-
Instruct large language model for a quick, amusing tutorial on how to solve a Rubik’s Cube.—
Dave Altavilla,
Forbes.com,
4 June 2025
Noun
-
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
-
Certainly hope none of you will be complicit in this buffoonery.—
Andreas Wiseman,
Deadline,
23 May 2025
Adjective
-
In Mexico, Pachuca is considered an entertaining team that tends to appeal to neutrals.—
Felipe Cardenas,
New York Times,
8 June 2025
-
Is the dead spot in an area that is infrequently used and not part of your immediate entertaining space?—
Megan Hughes,
Better Homes & Gardens,
7 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Slapstick.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/slapstick. Accessed 18 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share