1
as in parodies
a poor, insincere, or insulting imitation of something
rigged from the start, his trial was a travesty of justice
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in spoofs
a work that imitates and exaggerates another work for comic effect
the big-screen version of the classic sitcom is actually a good-natured travesty of the TV series
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in mocks
to copy or exaggerate (someone or something) in order to make fun of
this comedy sketch mindlessly travesties the hard work of relief workers around the world
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Recent Examples of travesties
Hunter Ingram, Variety, 8 Nov. 2025
Noun
By the season’s end, in fact, more than a few travesties are laid at Peter’s feet.
—Hunter Ingram, Variety, 8 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for travesties
Noun
-
O'Brien then recalled his time on The Harvard Lampoon, his alma mater's humor publication also known for its parodies of magazines.—
Brenton Blanchet,
PEOPLE,
9 Jan. 2026
-
Each of the first three episodes takes place in a different decade and parodies a different generational style of sitcom.—
James Mercadante,
Entertainment Weekly,
4 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Way better than dusty game show and dinner party spoofs.—
Andy Hoglund,
Entertainment Weekly,
18 Jan. 2026
-
What’s Upstairs at the Downstairs is always a patchwork of mild satire, blatant spoofs, witty music, local jokes.—
Laird Borrelli-Persson,
Vogue,
21 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
Chelsea Handler honors Rob Reiner, mocks DiCaprio's 'Titanic' vacationNeed a news break?—
Anna Kaufman,
USA Today,
5 Jan. 2026
-
There, Callahan mocks him, saying that killing him won't assuage Mike of his guilt.—
Randall Colburn,
Entertainment Weekly,
28 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
Side-characters like Murray should have been written out before becoming caricatures.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
22 Jan. 2026
-
Some of the Catholic and Jewish characters are caricatures, too, but this anonymous ideologue is a bit too understated for someone wanting to conscript another into deadly service and could benefit from the absurdist flair Cash deploys elsewhere.—
Niela Orr,
Vulture,
13 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The layered neckline, with the bust peeking out from behind, imitates this season's hottest red carpet trend, the semi-visible bra.—
Kathleen Walsh,
Glamour,
12 Jan. 2026
-
Its light imitates an actual sunrise, gradually going from red to bright white.—
Quincy Bulin,
Better Homes & Gardens,
1 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Yes, as it is said, some jokes just write themselves.—
Steve Fryer,
Oc Register,
8 Jan. 2026
-
Performers have been reprimanded for making racist, sexist and homophobic jokes during shows in the late 1990s and 2000s, according to Westword, and Stock Show officials were quick to apologize.—
John Wenzel,
Denver Post,
7 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Travesties.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/travesties. Accessed 26 Jan. 2026.
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