as in hoot
someone or something that is very funny
the movie is a real knee-slapper if you are a fan of lowbrow humor
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Recent Examples of knee-slapper
On dinner tables frequented by Brussels sprouts, meatloaf is the well-meaning uncle whose knee-slappers are beloved, but not particularly hip.
—
Betsy Cribb Watson, Southern Living, 14 Feb. 2026
And, even more unfortunately, the conversations that Dreux and Alyssa have are not exactly knee-slappers.
—Alphonse Pierre, Pitchfork, 22 Jan. 2025
This 1940s knee-slapper on deck from Lakewood Theatre Company really isn’t so concerned with rooting out the murderer.
—oregonlive, 5 Sep. 2023
Betsy Cribb Watson, Southern Living, 14 Feb. 2026
And, even more unfortunately, the conversations that Dreux and Alyssa have are not exactly knee-slappers.
—Alphonse Pierre, Pitchfork, 22 Jan. 2025
This 1940s knee-slapper on deck from Lakewood Theatre Company really isn’t so concerned with rooting out the murderer.
—oregonlive, 5 Sep. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for knee-slapper
Noun
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Aziza Scott is a hoot as Anna’s pregnant best friend/real-talk Greek chorus of sorts, and Coiro herself doles out zingers as a random tourist on a bus.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
9 Apr. 2026
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And Donnie was so into it and so prepared, and just a hoot.—
Rebecca Milzoff,
Billboard,
31 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Their laughs and chatter fill the countryside and one another’s hearts, the merriment binding them all together like caterpillars in one big cocoon.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
24 Apr. 2026
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Over Your Dead Body knows that sustaining a harmonious union amid petty jealousies, paranoia, and personal flaws is hard; navigating a hostage situation involving desperate sickos and sociopaths is even harder; and maintaining a balance of laughs and gag-reflex tweaking is the hardest of it all.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Fans have long gravitated toward Swift's dramatic, scream-worthy bridges.—
Bryan West,
USA Today,
28 Apr. 2026
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This isn’t a scream from some hound of love (though dogs do bark on the recording).—
New York Times,
New York Times,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
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In the spring of 1992, Los Angeles erupted in deadly riots after a jury acquitted four police officers who beat Rodney King.—
Gustavo Arellano,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Apr. 2026
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On April 1st, Muir Burgos was moved to Canaleta, an adult prison, where a violent riot broke out in February, driven by food shortages, lack of medical care and abuse.—
Nora Gámez Torres,
Miami Herald,
29 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Knee-slapper.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/knee-slapper. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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