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
Relevance
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
1
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
Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 5 Apr. 2026
In Nuremberg,Göring is closer to a sad clown than to a monster.
—Alice Kaplan, The New York Review of Books, 4 Apr. 2026
Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 31 Jan. 2026
Welcome to Derry season 2, including whether Skarsgård will be back to clown it up as Pennywise.
—Christopher Rudolph, PEOPLE, 15 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for clown
Noun
Among the issues were a generational shift in how audiences reacted to animal acts and heavily made up clowns.
—Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 5 Apr. 2026
In Nuremberg,Göring is closer to a sad clown than to a monster.
—Alice Kaplan, The New York Review of Books, 4 Apr. 2026
Verb
Totally down to clown with the judges.
—Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 31 Jan. 2026
Welcome to Derry season 2, including whether Skarsgård will be back to clown it up as Pennywise.
—Christopher Rudolph, PEOPLE, 15 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for clown
Recent Examples of Synonyms for clown
Noun
-
For brassicas, watch for cabbage worms, flea beetles, and harlequin bugs.—
Anthony Reardon,
Kansas City Star,
20 Apr. 2026
-
Man Ray painted a harlequin with a candlelit lantern for a head in 1939, taking direct inspiration from Schiaparelli’s Harlequin coat from her Modern Comedy collection, launched in October 1938.—
Eliza Goodpasture,
ARTnews.com,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Most guys can get by without an aftershave, no shortage of which are fragrance conduits masquerading as moisturizers.—
Justin Fenner,
Robb Report,
11 Mar. 2026
-
Even the biggest indie acts of the last 15 years or so tend to be solo singer-songwriters masquerading as bands, but Brooklyn’s Geese, the buzziest rock band in years, are a total exception.—
Brian Hiatt,
Rolling Stone,
8 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
His life has come to the reader in bits and pieces, a collage, or, like his poems, a cut up.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
30 Apr. 2026
-
People in yards cut up tree trunks and piled tree branches.—
Rachel Royster,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Jerry is a buffoon whom Reggie embarrassed years ago on the field, and Reggie’s used to his hatred.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
14 Apr. 2026
-
He is looked upon as a bloviating buffoon, not to be believed or taken seriously.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
11 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
There’s an almost-friendship-ending rift over husbands (Brent Thiessen is Cee Cee’s, a cool-guy theater director; Ben Jacoby is Bertie’s, a rich jerk) that feels deeply dated and, in the context of the women’s tell-each-other-everything friendship, just plain weird.—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
23 Apr. 2026
-
The jerk chicken is rubbed in a sweet honey glaze.—
Jenn Harris,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
In a scene from the video that became local lore, Johann Gudenus, the former vice mayor of Vienna, mimed a pistol with his fingers while discussing untraceable donations to the FPÖ.—
Simon Akam,
Vanity Fair,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Panahi mimed cradling a reptile the size of a kitten.—
H. C. Wilentz,
New Yorker,
2 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Bevel was horsing around with the Reverend James Orange and Andy Young in the courtyard under King's balcony, according to Orange.—
Gail Sheehy,
Vanity Fair,
20 Feb. 2026
-
But Andrew continued to live at the home and was often seen riding his horse around Windsor Great Park and photographed waving to crowds.—
Martha Ross,
Mercury News,
12 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
One moment in particular, just before a Weekend Update segment built around one of Murphy's ideas, still stands out to the now 74-year-old comedian.—
Tereza Shkurtaj,
PEOPLE,
26 Apr. 2026
-
Hosted by comedian Greg Davies for BBC One, Sunday’s awards ceremony at The Brewery in London ended with victory for shows like Adolescence, The Celebrity Traitors, Andor, Amadeus, Big Boys, Reunion and more.—
Glenn Garner,
Deadline,
26 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Clown.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clown. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
