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
Relevance
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
Noun
-
How did clowns become a protest symbol?—
Janet W. Lee,
NPR,
5 Mar. 2026 -
And, yeah, it’s run by unworthy—the clowns are the best one.—
David Frum,
The Atlantic,
4 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
On her trail are a Báthory relative who is vegetarian (Thomas Schubert), his psychotherapist (Lars Eidinger), two vampirologists, a police inspector and a gallery of eccentrics.—
Elsa Keslassy,
Variety,
14 Feb. 2026
-
Catherine O’Hara portrayed ridiculous eccentrics with equal parts hilarity and humanity.—
The Week US,
TheWeek,
10 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Better yet, grind your own from peanuts or other nuts in stores that have a grinder, or do it at home in a food processor.—
Cory Martin,
Verywell Health,
16 Mar. 2026
-
Points are given for having at least three natural food sources for wildlife, things like seeds, native plants, nuts and cones, host plants for caterpillars, a layer of fallen leaves, insects, etc.—
Doug Ross,
Chicago Tribune,
15 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
There are the performers, who are dressed in the garb of their characters, and positioned in the environment in which those characters move onscreen.—
Naomi Fry,
New Yorker,
14 Mar. 2026
-
The 25-year-old Indianapolis native plays Willa, the daughter of former revolutionaries DiCaprio and Taylor, who goes on the lam when unsavory characters from her parents’ past attempt to track her down.—
Heather Bushman,
IndyStar,
13 Mar. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Zanies.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/zanies. Accessed 17 Mar. 2026.
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