slapstick 1 of 2

noun

ˈslap-ˌstik How to pronounce slapstick (audio)
Definition of slapsticknext
1
as in comedy
humorous entertainment an actor whose roles range from slapstick to serious drama

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in clowning
wildly playful or mischievous behavior a lowbrow comedy that relies heavily on slapstick for its laughs

Synonyms & Similar Words

slapstick

2 of 2

adjective

as in zany

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 slapstick
Noun
Kim Jee-woon’s astonishing action-thriller is a fusion of ideas and genres, including a surprising but not-unwelcome slapstick comedy runner. — Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 9 June 2026 Their shows are driven by a physicality both intricately choreographed and fizzily chaotic, tightness and looseness alternating — even somehow overlapping — in a rolling series of lazzi and dances, fistfights and slapstick routines. — Sara Holdren, Vulture, 14 June 2026
Adjective
Tapping into the sporting zeitgeist, the slapstick animation, sees Daffy Duck confounded when Elmer Fudd fails to turn up for duck hunting season. — Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 22 June 2026 In Game 4, the trouble began just one minute into the game, with two soft foul calls on Karl-Anthony Towns, which kicked off 23 minutes of slapstick basketball. — Kyle Wagner, New York Daily News, 11 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for slapstick
Recent Examples of Synonyms for slapstick
  1. comedy
  2. clowning
  3. zany
  4. humor
  5. joking
  6. clownish
  7. satire
  8. buffoonery
Noun
  • The apocalyptic horror comedy Zombieland (2009) was a box office hit.
    — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 4 July 2026
  • The ceremony was officiated by friend of the couple Adam Sandler, whom Travis Kelce starred alongside in the 2025 comedy Happy Gilmore 2.
    — Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 4 July 2026
Definition of comedy
Noun
  • The clowning might be a little too effortful.
    — Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 13 May 2026
  • As the race unfolds in real time, there’s clowning, collisions, sabotage, surprises, comedy, chaos and more.
    — Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Apr. 2026
Definition of clowning
Adjective
  • Dujardin and Dana have fine chemistry, but Dujardin’s best chemistry is with Ficarra, an Italian comic with exaggerated features and a love for the zanier aspects of the story.
    — Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 30 June 2026
  • Big Brother has certainly had a zany cast of characters over the years, but the characters that really matter are the casts themselves.
    — Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 4 June 2026
Definition of zany
Noun
  • And yet for God’s sake, just look at the man—at his dispiriting attempts at humor, his weirdly off-putting outfits, his incessant posting of banalities and faux profundities and extreme-right disinformation on social media.
    — Mark O’Connell, The New York Review of Books, 4 July 2026
  • But what keeps this show on my perpetual rewatch list is its humor, heart and endless humanity.
    — Maira Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 3 July 2026
Definition of humor
Noun
  • Oh, but the Padres manager was ready with the joking last night.
    — Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 June 2026
  • Still, Yoon’s joking somehow lightens the mood.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 11 June 2026
Definition of joking
Adjective
  • Martin showed that even a clownish gentleman with a pure heart could woo someone like Tisha Campbell’s Gina.
    — Jordan Hoffman, Entertainment Weekly, 8 June 2026
  • The Black characters that appeared on-screen closely resembled the clownish stereotypes popularized by the minstrels.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 25 Mar. 2026
Definition of clownish
Noun
  • Beneath its gleeful barrage of kink, karaoke, and absurdist comedy lies a sharp satire of exclusion, identity, and liberation within contemporary Queer culture.
    — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 2 July 2026
  • After the White House initially defended the post as satire, the video in question was deleted after a backlash including from some Republicans.
    — Todd Spangler, Variety, 2 July 2026
Definition of satire
Noun
  • Without Roberts in charge, expect the political and racial buffoonery to creep back into the conversation at ESPN.
    — Bobby Burack OutKick, FOXNews.com, 30 Apr. 2026
  • The show, with its interest in corporate buffoonery, doesn’t quite manage to hand-wave away the queasy implications.
    — Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 27 Mar. 2026
Definition of buffoonery

Browse Nearby Words

slaps down
slapstick
slapsticks
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Cite this Entry

“Slapstick.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/slapstick. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on slapstick

Nglish: Translation of slapstick for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about slapstick

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