1
as in harlequin
a comically dressed performer (as at a circus) who entertains with playful tricks and ridiculous behavior
a clown wearing big floppy shoes and a red wig
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2
as in bastard
a person whose behavior is offensive to others
you should stay away from that clown
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
2
as in to cut up
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of clown
Lauren Coates, Variety, 3 Feb. 2025
The back-up dancers were a colorful mix of rodeo clowns, the performance ending with a passionate guitar display and an expression of confident satisfaction from Roan.
—Evan Nicole Brown, TIME, 3 Feb. 2025
Trent Reinsmith, Forbes, 21 Dec. 2024
Yes — the face of an entire horror franchise with his twisted portrayal of It clown Pennywise — was more than ready to set free Robert Eggers‘ Nosferatu.
—Lily Ford, The Hollywood Reporter, 13 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for clown
Noun
Flanked by an army of rodeo clowns and seated on a massive pink horse, Roan (in custom Steve Madden cowboy boots and plenty of fringe) belted out her first single as the crowd (led by Janelle Monáe) sang along.
—Lauren Coates, Variety, 3 Feb. 2025
The back-up dancers were a colorful mix of rodeo clowns, the performance ending with a passionate guitar display and an expression of confident satisfaction from Roan.
—Evan Nicole Brown, TIME, 3 Feb. 2025
Verb
It's taken my focus away as well, so maybe a little less clowning and more focus on the actual victory.
—Trent Reinsmith, Forbes, 21 Dec. 2024
Yes — the face of an entire horror franchise with his twisted portrayal of It clown Pennywise — was more than ready to set free Robert Eggers‘ Nosferatu.
—Lily Ford, The Hollywood Reporter, 13 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for clown
Recent Examples of Synonyms for clown
Noun
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But this harlequin moll can’t match Joker’s lunacy as either lawbreaker or musician.—
Armond White,
National Review,
29 Nov. 2024
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The doll, which is called the Witch Weaver, wears flared bell-bottoms, a gossamer harlequin blouse, gold waistcoat and crystal headpiece — taking inspiration from Reed’s signature design codes, personal style and even Lady Gaga.—
Violet Goldstone,
WWD,
21 Nov. 2024
Verb
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Psychological harassment masquerading as public works.—
Chadd Scott,
Forbes,
21 Feb. 2025
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Bonus accessory dwelling units projects with 20, 40 or 100 ADUs are apartment complexes masquerading as ADUs.—
Danna Givot,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
19 Feb. 2025
Verb
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By sector, technology suffered the worst, with job cuts up 128 percent on-month to 7,488, followed by automotive (123 percent), services (106 percent), retail (96 percent), and media and news (27 percent).—
Dan Perry,
Newsweek,
13 Feb. 2025
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In the frying process, those odd crumbles can be cut up in a casual manner with a spatula.—
Cathy Thomas,
Orange County Register,
10 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Of course, Veep’s sycophants, buffoons, and backstabbers bear little resemblance to the vanguard of our latest regime.—
Judy Berman,
TIME,
20 Feb. 2025
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Hudson’s bandmates—the guitarist Robbie Robertson, the drummer Levon Helm, the bassist Rick Danko, and the pianist and multi-instrumentalist Richard Manuel—often described him as scholarly, nimble, and discerning, a professor type at loose in a scene dominated by beautiful buffoons.—
Amanda Petrusich,
The New Yorker,
24 Jan. 2025
Noun
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With that put to bed, our attention turns back to the husbands, and all the new rumors from this season, like Lisa bringing up Shawn’s name in regards to circle jerks.—
Tom Smyth,
Vulture,
29 Jan. 2025
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Diagnosed first with Jeavons syndrome in 2018/19—a rare form of epilepsy characterized by absence seizures and eyelid jerks—a 1,000-gene epilepsy panel in 2020 revealed further health problems.—
George Monastiriakos,
Newsweek,
30 Dec. 2024
Verb
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But with no sound to accompany the video, the pair is forced to comically mime their way through their first conversation, in TVLine’s exclusive sneak peek.—
Vlada Gelman,
TVLine,
11 Feb. 2025
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In the clip, Sunday Rose mimed playing the flute as the sounds of woodwinds accompanied the video.—
Charna Flam,
People.com,
30 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Elsewhere, two boys, Frank and Alain, get up to assorted mischief, sneaking onto a baseball diamond at night or horsing around on railroad tracks, although there are hints that Frank’s family may leave Cuba soon.—
Ben Kenigsberg,
New York Times,
9 Jan. 2025
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In the video, Payne is shown horsing around with a large outdoor crowd and his bandmates, encouraging the fans to quiet their screaming and then raise the volume all the way back up.—
Clare Mulroy,
USA TODAY,
3 Feb. 2025
Noun
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The ceremony was hosted by comedian Eddie Kadi and Love Island star Indiyah Polack and broadcast live on YouTube.—
Thomas Smith,
Billboard,
18 Feb. 2025
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On March 1, comedian Shane Gillis will host an episode featuring Canadian pop star Tate McRae.—
Matthew Strauss,
Pitchfork,
18 Feb. 2025
Articles Related to clown
Cite this Entry
“Clown.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clown. Accessed 1 Mar. 2025.
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