1
as in parodies
a poor, insincere, or insulting imitation of something
rigged from the start, his trial was a travesty of justice
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar 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 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
-
The films remained popular throughout the early 1940s, and their impact persevered via reruns, rereleases, and even parodies, such as Eddie Murphy's not-so-little Buckwheat on Saturday Night Live.—
Andrew Walsh,
Entertainment Weekly,
30 Jan. 2026
-
O’Hara’s celebrity parodies for SCTV included Brooke Shields, Lucille Ball, Elizabeth Taylor, Katherine Hepburn, Morgan Fairchild and gossip columnist Rona Barrett.—
Greg Evans,
Deadline,
30 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
-
In pop culture, the representation of gay men has largely been limited to a narrow list of tragic themes and undignified caricatures, Duquette said.—
Ian Kerner 19 hr ago,
CNN Money,
3 Feb. 2026
-
In a show full of caricatures, Moira was the loudest and least plausible.—
Kathryn VanArendonk,
Vulture,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Patagonia’s proprietary synthetic fill imitates down’s structure by spinning air-trapping microfilaments around a central fiber and requires fewer stabilizing seams and baffles than down.—
Kelly Bastone,
Outside,
10 Feb. 2026
-
And, because life sometimes imitates art, Williams and Storrie are heading to the Olympics.—
Anna Zucca,
Vanity Fair,
23 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Gross-out jokes don’t always play well for a broad crowd that often includes families and kids.—
Brian Steinberg,
Variety,
8 Feb. 2026
-
Melania also recently made headlines in a new way when distributor Amazon MGM asked a theater in Oregon to stop screening the film due to some viral jokes on its marquee.—
James Hibberd,
HollywoodReporter,
6 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Travesties.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/travesties. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
