as in to show off
to engage in attention-getting playful or boisterous behavior
the gymnast was showboating for the cameras when she lost her balance and fell
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of showboat
John Shea, San Francisco Chronicle, 16 Apr. 2022
But that was neither showboating nor talking trash.
—Dalton Ross, EW.com, 1 Apr. 2020
Kevin Rector, Los Angeles Times, 21 Nov. 2024
Fonseca found Barbosa to be a showboat on Instagram, sure, but also unfailingly polite and generous.
—Lauren Smiley, WIRED, 10 July 2024
See All Example Sentences for showboat
Verb
Don’t showboat around the bases.
—John Shea, San Francisco Chronicle, 16 Apr. 2022
But that was neither showboating nor talking trash.
—Dalton Ross, EW.com, 1 Apr. 2020
Noun
Still, the factor that may have been most harmful were his relationships with fellow Republican lawmakers, who regarded him as an empty showboat willing to hurt the party to gain attention.
—Kevin Rector, Los Angeles Times, 21 Nov. 2024
Fonseca found Barbosa to be a showboat on Instagram, sure, but also unfailingly polite and generous.
—Lauren Smiley, WIRED, 10 July 2024
See All Example Sentences for showboat
Recent Examples of Synonyms for showboat
Verb
-
Following tea with the king and queen in the White House Green room, the Trumps showed off the White House’s new beehive to the royal couple.—
Kathryn Palmer,
USA Today,
28 Apr. 2026
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Sophomore Nate Roberts is a 6-5, 240-pounder who has blocking experience and showed off versatility catching passes in the spring.—
Cameron Teague Robinson,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Dress up like a cowboy with leather shirts and pants.—
Tom MacCubbin,
The Orlando Sentinel,
25 Apr. 2026
-
Following her character’s breakup with a cowboy (played by Luke Grimes), Langley hitches a ride back to Tennessee with a sage country singer who’s already seen it all (Miranda Lambert).—
Charisma Madarang,
Rolling Stone,
24 Apr. 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
-
Only after the midway break did the floodgates open and the Fire go berserk on goal.—
The Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
26 Apr. 2026
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No matter what absurdities the Gemstones perpetrated or endured, the series always offered them second chances — and opportunities for performers like Edi Patterson, Walton Goggins, and McBride himself to go berserk.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
1 Dec. 2025
Verb
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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
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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
Verb
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The pair sequester themselves in a shed while guests revel outside in the sunshine.—
Inkoo Kang,
New Yorker,
24 Apr. 2026
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Nebraska fans with seats around the tunnel spotted them, because thousands of Nebraska fans were still in their seats, reveling, the music still thumping in the arena, as if some kind of encore would be happening.—
Joe Rexrode,
New York Times,
22 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Send any news, comments, Meta predictions, or Costco hotdogs to talk@qz.com.—
Francisco Velasquez,
Quartz,
3 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
Another horny couple on vacation couldn’t wait until their flight landed to fool around and insisted on doing so in the plane's cabin.—
Sean Joseph OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
27 Apr. 2026
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And this fool is taking it with the fools around him.—
KiMi Robinson,
USA Today,
30 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Showboat.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/showboat. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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