zanies

noun

plural of zany
1
as in clowns
a comically dressed performer (as at a circus) who entertains with playful tricks and ridiculous behavior hired a zany to entertain the children at the birthday party

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in eccentrics
a person of odd or whimsical habits one of the challenges of hosting a radio call-in program is preventing the zanies from completely taking over the discussion

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for zanies
  1. clowns
  2. eccentrics
  3. nuts
  4. characters
Noun
  • Many Orlando-area homes feature skeletons that tower over the neighborhood, witchy covens, horror movie icons, clowns, pirate ships, pumpkins, zombies and vampires.
    — Patrick Connolly, The Orlando Sentinel, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Friday, Edith, and the maintenance bots are sometimes goofy comic-relief clowns.
    — Tasha Robinson, Vulture, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of clowns
Noun
  • Step inside, though, and you’re transported to a bucolic Britain of rolling hills and village greens, bumbling eccentrics and cute, clever farm animals.
    — Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 22 Oct. 2026
  • The professionalization worked, but at the expense of the site’s internal culture, Cooke argues, as generous eccentrics were displaced by neurotic lovers of rules.
    — Julian Lucas, New Yorker, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of eccentrics
Noun
  • Healthy ingredients like nuts and fresh fruit are often just a garnish or topping.
    — Anahad O’Connor, Washington Post, 22 Oct. 2026
  • My sweet potato casserole recipe swaps the nuts for crispy, sweet-and-salty cornflakes—the marshmallows can stay.
    — Zoe Denenberg, Bon Appetit Magazine, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of nuts
Noun
  • Pair a winning culture of a respected NBA franchise with a top five talent like Giannis Antetokounmpo and blockbuster is supposed to happen, if the main characters stay healthy, everyone buys in, and the sports Gods are kind.
    — Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Although the book includes a disclaimer that all its characters, apart from a brief appearance by Belmonte, are fictional, its protagonist is transparently based on Manolete, who had been fatally gored in 1947.
    — Stephen Bates, New Yorker, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of characters
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.

Browse Nearby Words

zags
zanies
zaniness
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Cite this Entry

“Zanies.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/zanies. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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