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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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.
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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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Six world-class interior designers were given a blank canvas to create their interiors, and the results are strikingly different, from Luca Dini’s waterfall through the superyacht’s two-level beach club to the large picture windows on the interior salon by Francois Zuretti.Michael Verdon, Robb Report, 4 Nov. 2024
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Seconds later, the clown pulled out a gun and shot Warren in the mouth at point blank range.KC Baker, People.com, 4 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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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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Advertisement Cody Bellinger, 29, OF, Boras: The former Dodgers elite center fielder and enigmatic hitter can opt out of the last two years and $52.5 million of his three-year, $80-million contract with the Chicago Cubs.Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times, 31 Oct. 2024
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Hello Kitty, the cute, enigmatic character that adorns everything from handbags to rice cookers, turns 50 on Friday — and is still making millions for her Japanese creators.Paula Ramon, Fortune Asia, 30 Oct. 2024
Adjective
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Our first Killarney run combined the fervent greenness of the previous day with the impassive steepness of our earlier outings.Alexandra Kleeman, Travel + Leisure, 17 Oct. 2024
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The first 18-plus of its 22 seasons were led by Mark Harmon as Leroy Jethro Gibbs, the impassive Special Agent in Charge and boss extraordinaire who liked to build boats in his basement in his spare time.Nina Metz, Chicago Tribune, 14 Oct. 2024
Adjective
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Its plot is as clever as its imagination is stolid, its subjects are as serious as its approach to them is bland.Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 25 Oct. 2024
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Though even his private self might not be able to articulate it, this crushing cycle—strutting boy into stuck, stolid man—is what Gar’s running from.Sara Holdren, Vulture, 24 Mar. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Deadpan.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deadpan. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
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