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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in bastard
a person whose behavior is offensive to others
you should stay away from that clown
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of clown
Odeya Pinkus, InStyle, 4 Jan. 2026
Six Flags Magic Mountain will fill the summer, fall and winter seasons in 2026 with an entertaining mix of Superman and Harley Quinn, Oktoberfest beers and Bavarian pretzels, killer clowns and blood curdling screams and Santa Claus and faux snow.
—Brady MacDonald, Oc Register, 31 Dec. 2025
Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 23 Sep. 2025
The pie shoved in Anthony’s face by his lover, Giuseppe, felt like a neat distillation of how crudely the series seemed to clown its characters, week after week after week.
—Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 15 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for clown
Noun
This design sits somewhere in between the vibe of a flashing paparazzi camera and a chic Halloween clown look.
—Verb
Cue Pennywise's menacing laughter and our first glimpse of the killer clown behind his signature red balloon.
—Recent Examples of Synonyms for clown
Noun
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In these respects, apart from the harlequin excesses of his Stalinism, Cowley is terrifically sound.—
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Speaking of South Africa, harlequin flower (Sparaxis tricolor) is another cormaceous plant from that part of the world.—
Verb
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Diet culture masquerading as health and wellness profits from people obsessing over their weight.—
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Today’s online environment intensifies this effect, allowing a small number of loud or coordinated voices to masquerade as true consensus.—
Verb
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ConocoPhillips announced plans to cut up to 25% of its global staff.—
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Meanwhile, as all of this is happening, Meredith is cutting up with the other ladies at the spa, without a care in the world.—
Noun
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Johnson delights in playing the role of lovable buffoon in the locker room, but his goofiness has purpose.—
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Finally there’s Arthur, an upwards-failing buffoon caught—like so many of his countrymen, then and now—between Conkling’s spoils system and Garfield’s idealism.—
Noun
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For those with less-briny palates, a fine jerk chicken and a number of steak cuts are also available.—
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Mike’s older sister, Nancy (Natalia Dyer), is our entry point to Hawkins High; a pretty striver, she’s recently been distracted from academics by a fling with popular jerk Steve Harrington (Joe Keery).—
Verb
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At the snap, the three tight ends – Tyler Higbee, Colby Parkinson and Davis Allen – mimed a run block, just for a beat.—
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Stray Cat, in full black latex, mimed licking her paws.—
Verb
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At this point in time, my little AI company, a lean and mean group of passionate believers, is horsing around fine-tuning the product, living on a couple of angel investments, where a 10X return on few million dollars is very satisfying, not only to the angel, but also to the employees.—
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Running or horsing around with sparklers can also cause injuries and burns when users trip and fall.—
Noun
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The comedian wore dangly diamond and pearl earrings and styled her hair in soft waves.—
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Wanda Sykes made sure that comedian Ricky Gervais — a comedian whose past material raised eyebrows and allegations of transphobia — shared his big 2026 Golden Globes night with a higher power and the transgender community.—
Cite this Entry
“Clown.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clown. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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