as in blank
not expressing any emotion
he delivered the joke in such a deadpan voice that we thought at first that he was serious
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of deadpan
Duane sets the precedent for what will turn out to be a lengthy comedy career for Walken, delivering wildly ridiculous dialogue with a deadpan expression and at point blank range.
—
Joe Tobal, EW.com, 9 Dec. 2022
Doesn’t the Television Academy see the deadpan delivery and cool millennial style Selena Gomez constantly brings to the table?
—Savannah Salazar, Vulture, 12 Sep. 2022
This deadpan dramedy from Finnish director and writer Aki Kaurismäki could be the ultimate anti-Christmas movie.
—Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 22 Dec. 2022
During episode four, young Wednesday, played with perfect deadpan glee by Jenna Ortega, dominates the dance floor at her boarding school Nevermore Academy’s annual Rave ‘N Ball.
—cleveland, 19 Dec. 2022
See all Example Sentences for deadpan 
Joe Tobal, EW.com, 9 Dec. 2022
Doesn’t the Television Academy see the deadpan delivery and cool millennial style Selena Gomez constantly brings to the table?
—Savannah Salazar, Vulture, 12 Sep. 2022
This deadpan dramedy from Finnish director and writer Aki Kaurismäki could be the ultimate anti-Christmas movie.
—Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 22 Dec. 2022
During episode four, young Wednesday, played with perfect deadpan glee by Jenna Ortega, dominates the dance floor at her boarding school Nevermore Academy’s annual Rave ‘N Ball.
—cleveland, 19 Dec. 2022
See all Example Sentences for deadpan
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deadpan
Adjective
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Floria is a portrait of unflappable repression, the sort of level of stress that numbs the muscles in the face to be nothing other than blank.—
Adam Solomons,
IndieWire,
17 Feb. 2025
-
Because of that match with Liverpool at Wembley, Newcastle’s fixture at Crystal Palace in Gameweek 29 is currently a blank and the fixture has been removed from the official Fantasy Premier League website.—
Abdul Rehman,
The Athletic,
13 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
Subjects were shown pictures of two expressionless male faces over and over.—
Elizabeth Preston,
Discover Magazine,
11 Sep. 2012
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Bale ran to the corner of the pitch, and, having been an expressionless bystander for much of the evening, shouted in ecstasy.—
Hua Hsu,
The New Yorker,
21 Nov. 2022
Adjective
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But Hujar is an enigmatic figure and a biographical portrayal wasn’t exactly on the cards.—
Lily Ford,
The Hollywood Reporter,
15 Feb. 2025
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Hot Milk is spare, rigorously structured but enigmatic, with a shocking ending that could fuel weeks of argument.—
Stephanie Bunbury,
Deadline,
14 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
The tone and point of view were lofty, sharp-eyed, seemingly impassive.—
Adam Gopnik,
The New Yorker,
10 Feb. 2025
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But the dynamic is unmistakable: one person fully covered, powerful, impassive; the other stripped down, silent, available.—
Jessie Candlin,
Newsweek,
4 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
Blink Twice nods at a tangle of different contemporary ailments: lifestyle fetishism, wellness hedonism, our obscene fealty to stolid tech bros and their untrammeled wealth.—
Sophie Gilbert,
The Atlantic,
6 Dec. 2024
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Allies say Starmer’s stolid exterior hides a steely ambition and a determination to win.—
Jill Lawless,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
23 May 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Deadpan.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deadpan. Accessed 22 Feb. 2025.
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