as in joke
a person or thing that is made fun of
his nerdy clothes made him the laughingstock of the schoolyard
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Recent Examples of laughingstock
His actions have undermined our democracy and made America a laughingstock.
—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 24 Feb. 2026
Alphabet had a surprising 750 million average monthly users for its Gemini app, which was just a few years ago a laughingstock.
—Jim Cramer, CNBC, 8 Feb. 2026
Black people as laughingstock, caricature.
—Chadd Scott, Forbes.com, 24 Jan. 2026
The disastrous response to that icy gridlock turned Atlanta into a laughingstock and transformed how leaders prepare for severe weather.
—Greg Bluestein, AJC.com, 23 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for laughingstock
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 24 Feb. 2026
Alphabet had a surprising 750 million average monthly users for its Gemini app, which was just a few years ago a laughingstock.
—Jim Cramer, CNBC, 8 Feb. 2026
Black people as laughingstock, caricature.
—Chadd Scott, Forbes.com, 24 Jan. 2026
The disastrous response to that icy gridlock turned Atlanta into a laughingstock and transformed how leaders prepare for severe weather.
—Greg Bluestein, AJC.com, 23 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for laughingstock
Recent Examples of Synonyms for laughingstock
Noun
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As the Ado Annie-like Betsy, a horny teen-ager whose father owns a shotgun, Kurtz is playing a character who should be, and kind of is, a one-joke punch line.—
Emily Nussbaum,
New Yorker,
30 Apr. 2026
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Complaints about hospital food are certainly not new, and Jell-O and fruit juice are often the butt of related jokes.—
Stephanie Armour,
CBS News,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Post-draft outlook Don’t let the draft-weekend optimism fool you — the Cardinals have a long road ahead.—
Doug Haller,
New York Times,
26 Apr. 2026
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There is an old saying that people who represent themselves in court effectively have a fool for a lawyer.—
Caroline Kubzansky,
Chicago Tribune,
25 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Laughingstock.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/laughingstock. Accessed 4 May. 2026.
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