clown 1 of 2

noun

ˈklau̇n How to pronounce clown (audio)
Definition of clownnext
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

clown

2 of 2

verb

1
as in to masquerade

Related Words
2
as in to cut up

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of clown
Noun
When asked about his most Mary-like quality, Yang pointed to the duality of the clown. — Alex Jhamb Burns, Vogue, 13 Oct. 2026 The gasoline shortage has become such a feature of daily life that even clowns at Moscow’s circus have cracked jokes about it. — Ivan Nechepurenko, New York Times, 4 Oct. 2026
Verb
Steps away, other Israeli activists fashion animals out of balloons, while a couple in garish wigs and clown makeup wildly wave their arms in a routine that prompts roars of laughter. — Dina Kraft, Christian Science Monitor, 19 Aug. 2026 Clowning Around Nails are a great excuse to show off your personality, and even perhaps clown a bit. — Daisy Maldonado, InStyle, 13 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for clown
Recent Examples of Synonyms for clown
  1. harlequin
  2. jerk
  3. masquerade
  4. cut up
  5. buffoon
  6. dog
  7. mime
  8. horse around
Noun
  • Warren, a tenor, arrived in a pink harlequin outfit, with knee socks and buckled shoes.
    — Sarah Larson, New Yorker, 19 Oct. 2026
  • How to Make a Harlequin Pastry Pattern For the harlequin pattern on this citrusy pie’s top crust, prep and roll out pastry.
    — Katlyn Moncada, Better Homes & Gardens, 10 Oct. 2026
Definition of harlequin
Noun
  • From award-winning jerk pork wraps to classic rice and peas, every bite celebrates our heritage.
    — Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 9 Oct. 2026
  • Bella’s childhood friend Angus (Jake Simmance), a corporate jerk, condescendingly probes Johnny about his career.
    — Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of jerk
Verb
  • Official outlets can quote from posts on fake accounts whose creators masquerade as ordinary members of the public, making a fringe claim seem normal.
    — RENÉE DIRESTA, Foreign Affairs, 5 Oct. 2026
  • The action-drama is a road show that primarily films on location and often features rural settings, so the move to California provides new landscapes to masquerade as other locales.
    — Yvonne Villarreal, Los Angeles Times, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of masquerade
Verb
  • After Szabo cuts up Matt’s face in one of many graphic scenes, the actor loses his career and just about everything else in his life.
    — Glenn Garner, Deadline, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Union President Carrie Kyung said the plan includes cutting up to 18 English learner teachers and would affect at least two dozen schools.
    — Jason Rantala, CBS News, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of cut up
Noun
  • This buffoon thinks Trump was way out of line, writes columnist Steve Lopez.
    — Jack Dolan, Los Angeles Times, 7 Oct. 2026
  • The biggest name in tech, Elon Musk, gets the most outlandish performance from Ike Barinholtz, who plays the richest man in the world as a cartoonish buffoon who is arguably the only person in Silicon Valley more impatient than Altman.
    — Chris Murphy, Vanity Fair, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of buffoon
Noun
  • Lamm told TechCrunch that conventional breeding can produce dogs with poor eyesight or genetic predispositions to cancer.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Cadaver dogs also alerted to the scent of a corpse in the vehicle.
    — Frannie Comstock, Encyclopedia Britannica, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of dog
Verb
  • By the time of the witch trial, the sacred building stood stripped of its roofing and outer masonry—a fleshless skeleton; its giant west window glassless, miming a stone scream.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 28 Sep. 2026
  • Simmons celebrated by miming urinating, game footage shared by ESPN College Football shows.
    — Bailey Richards, PEOPLE, 26 Sep. 2026
Definition of mime
Verb
  • Also, don’t get too out of control horsing around with friends in the water.
    — John Natale, Hartford Courant, 16 Aug. 2026
  • According to McGrady, the only royal who didn’t enjoy the time away in the Highlands was the late Princess Diana, who didn’t fit in with the family’s outdoorsy vibes and didn’t enjoy riding horses around the property due to a fall as a child.
    — Meredith Kile, PEOPLE, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of horse around

Phrases Containing clown

Browse Nearby Words

cloverleafs
clown
clown (around)
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Cite this Entry

“Clown.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clown. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on clown

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about clown

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