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
Because some of them are showing up to the game looking like clowns. — Armando Salguero Outkick, FOXNews.com, 20 Sep. 2026 The excessiveness of Ken Russell, Joe Coleman, Tasha Tudor, clowns, migraines, Priscilla Presley, and the Winchester Mystery House. — Literary Hub, 15 Sep. 2026
Verb
Clowning Around Nails are a great excuse to show off your personality, and even perhaps clown a bit. — Daisy Maldonado, InStyle, 13 Aug. 2026 Eventually a local newspaper wrote a piece about me and my dad, the father/son clown duo. — Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 23 June 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
  • The Cézanne is Arlequin, 1888-90, from a set of four harlequin paintings and the only one not held by a museum.
    — News Desk, Artforum, 30 Sep. 2026
  • Colorado potato beetles target potato plants, while harlequin beetles do damage to brassica family plants like kale, cauliflower, cabbage, and broccoli.
    — Alexandra Jones, The Spruce, 3 June 2026
Definition of harlequin
Noun
  • Bella’s childhood friend Angus (Jake Simmance), a corporate jerk, condescendingly probes Johnny about his career.
    — Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 2 Oct. 2026
  • There was significant excitement over the first-look footage revealing perhaps the world’s biggest movie star transforming himself to become a portly, gray-haired jerk in an offbeat feature focusing on climate change.
    — Ryan Gajewski, HollywoodReporter, 30 Sep. 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
  • Rifkin also open a bag containing Machado’s black bra and purple T-shirt, both of which were cut up by scissors.
    — Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Duke Energy crews are working to cut up the tree and replace the pole, officials said.
    — Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 15 Sep. 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
  • Sheriff’s cadaver dogs, deputies with shovels and a backhoe were seen at work.
    — Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Lead and cadmium exposure has been linked to canine cancer, a leading cause of death in dogs.
    — Sandee LaMotte, CNN Money, 2 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 9 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on clown

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about clown

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