1
as in parody
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 spoof
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 to parody
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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of travesty
Ivan Pereira, ABC News, 18 Apr. 2025
Karen Read’s local attorney, David Yannetti, has to be even more prudent in his comments about this recent travesty of justice in Dedham.
—Howie Carr, Boston Herald, 22 June 2025
The New Republic, 22 June 2023
Readers may be tempted to side at one moment with the defenders of Jewish caution and Jewish sentiment, however their instincts are travestied, and soon afterward with Zuckerman’s principled view of the autonomy of art.
—Cynthia Ozick, WSJ, 25 May 2018
See All Example Sentences for travesty
Noun
What shocks me is he's remained silent on the travesty that happened on the southern border.
—Ivan Pereira, ABC News, 18 Apr. 2025
Karen Read’s local attorney, David Yannetti, has to be even more prudent in his comments about this recent travesty of justice in Dedham.
—Howie Carr, Boston Herald, 22 June 2025
Verb
In 1933, the Marx Brothers mocked dictatorship with Duck Soup; three decades later, Kubrick and writer Terry Southern travestied the Bomb.
—The New Republic, 22 June 2023
Readers may be tempted to side at one moment with the defenders of Jewish caution and Jewish sentiment, however their instincts are travestied, and soon afterward with Zuckerman’s principled view of the autonomy of art.
—Cynthia Ozick, WSJ, 25 May 2018
See All Example Sentences for travesty
Recent Examples of Synonyms for travesty
Noun
-
The unserious image conveys how much the drama has become a parody of itself.—
Shirley Li,
The Atlantic,
27 June 2025
-
When Israel launched its full-scale war against Iran on June 13, the jingoistic Beach Boys parody once again began to make the rounds.—
Hershal Pandya,
Vulture,
25 June 2025
Noun
-
One of Ferrell’s biggest and best movies was this hilarious racing spoof, which followed the rise and fall and rise of a smug champion racer, his complicated friendship with best pal and fellow racer John C. Reilly, and his rivalry with an effete, snotty Frenchman played by Sacha Baron Cohen.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
27 June 2025
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Just as impressive is Brooks stepping back into the shoes of Yogurt (his merchandising Yoda spoof), just a year away from his hundredth birthday.—
Josh Weiss,
Forbes.com,
24 June 2025
Verb
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And of course, that following Sunday, Oliver did indeed mock his corporate bosses for the move.—
Michael Schneider,
Variety,
8 July 2025
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Many wanted Tiger to comment, but others chose to mock Williams.—
Devlina Sarkar,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 July 2025
Noun
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And yet the world is too driven by algorithms, too fragmented in its tastes, to ever be on the same page again and get the same jokes.—
Christopher Borrelli,
Chicago Tribune,
30 June 2025
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She was raised in a society—a West Indian society—that did not put much of a premium on women’s bodies, where any kind of intimacy was a joke.—
Hilton Als,
New Yorker,
30 June 2025
Verb
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But as these systems gained the ability to imitate reasoning, planning, and decision-making among options, emergent behaviors began raising red flags.—
Hamilton Mann,
Forbes.com,
29 June 2025
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Some fireworks transcend the standard pops and booms to imitate a non-fiery object.—
Ethan Wolin,
Sacbee.com,
28 June 2025
Noun
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Many of Kidman’s better wigs are blonde or shoulder length, but this unfortunately doesn’t ring true for the HBO movie Hemingway & Gellhorn, which stars Clive Owen as a caricature of Ernest Hemingway and a Golden Globe–nominated Kidman as his wife, the journalist Martha Gellhorn.—
Jihane Bousfiha,
Vulture,
2 July 2025
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Despite this blanket ban on racist caricatures, the hateful Veo 3 videos appear to be spreading unchecked.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
2 July 2025
Verb
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While the audience members could still speak on the item about to be deferred, Rodriguez said, doing so would mean the public wouldn’t have the chance to address commissioners if the item ever came up for an actual vote at a future meeting.—
Douglas Hanks,
Miami Herald,
28 June 2025
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Apps which are meant to make users safer and more secure but are doing the very opposite.—
Zak Doffman,
Forbes.com,
28 June 2025
Noun
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Official results of the election handed Lukashenko his sixth term in office but were denounced by the opposition and the West as a sham.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
22 June 2025
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Another sign that this search was viewed as a sham was that the most impressive outside candidate was the city manager of Norcross, Ga., an Atlanta suburb of 18,000 residents.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
21 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Travesty.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/travesty. Accessed 12 Jul. 2025.
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