as in killjoy
a person who spoils the pleasure of others
if you don't want to play, at least don't be a spoilsport
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of spoilsport
Suddenly, the Republicans were the spoilsports who couldn’t take the joke, a position stereotypically held by politically correct liberals.
—
Rebecca Jennings, Vox, 9 Aug. 2024
Millennial workers are increasingly becoming the office spoilsports, with young people increasingly likely to be in it for the money rather than for fun, as years of economic turmoil force them to keep their heads down, collect their monthly paychecks, and fight for a promotion.
—Byryan Hogg, Fortune Europe, 26 June 2024
This spoilsport effort has become fodder for late-night comedy routines and gripes about liberal overlords such as Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg banishing all fun.
—Chicago Tribune, Twin Cities, 1 Feb. 2024
Be prepared to be labelled humourless, difficult, a spoilsport, and a ruiner of parties, meetings, dinners, and picnics.
—Natalie Gil, refinery29.com, 11 July 2023
See All Example Sentences for spoilsport
Rebecca Jennings, Vox, 9 Aug. 2024
Millennial workers are increasingly becoming the office spoilsports, with young people increasingly likely to be in it for the money rather than for fun, as years of economic turmoil force them to keep their heads down, collect their monthly paychecks, and fight for a promotion.
—Byryan Hogg, Fortune Europe, 26 June 2024
This spoilsport effort has become fodder for late-night comedy routines and gripes about liberal overlords such as Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg banishing all fun.
—Chicago Tribune, Twin Cities, 1 Feb. 2024
Be prepared to be labelled humourless, difficult, a spoilsport, and a ruiner of parties, meetings, dinners, and picnics.
—Natalie Gil, refinery29.com, 11 July 2023
See All Example Sentences for spoilsport
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spoilsport
Noun
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In the end, at the risk of sounding like a killjoy, a real way to save the planet and save money is to just buy and produce less.—
Kara McGrath,
Allure,
22 Apr. 2026
-
Which poem, and why did the killjoys at the magazine turn it down?—
Anthony Lane,
New Yorker,
22 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Some date the beginning of the cultural movement known as ballroom to the late 19th century drag balls in Harlem.—
Liz Rothaus Bertrand,
Charlotte Observer,
29 Apr. 2026
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In present-day Cuba, older adults drag carts loaded with a portable gas tank or a container of charcoal.—
Sarah Moreno
Updated April 29,
Miami Herald,
29 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Of course, cynics would say this is an easy way to get laughs, but Galifianakis’ quick wit ensures the unfiltered youngsters don’t always take center stage.—
Jon O'Brien,
IndieWire,
22 Apr. 2026
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The cynics are figures like Sam Bankman-Fried, who built a fortune off of a crypto exchange called FTX, which crashed and burned in the fall of 2022, eventually sending Bankman-Fried to prison for fraud.—
Jack Crosbie,
Rolling Stone,
7 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
This method bore fruit, with a close relative of the DNA identified in 2025.—
Flint McColgan,
Boston Herald,
23 Apr. 2026
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As the North bore down on Saigon, Thieu begged for American financial support, but Congress was in no mood to pour more millions into the black hole of Southeast Asia.—
Louis Menand,
New Yorker,
13 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The pervasive popularity of the show and its creator will be the reason the complainers have no voice.—
Rich Heldenfels,
Boston Herald,
22 Mar. 2026
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An energy vampire has bad body language, the complaining look on their face, the vocal complainer.—
Edgar Thompson,
The Orlando Sentinel,
8 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The menu leans into coastal favorites, with crowd-pleasers like hush puppies, she-crab soup, and crab cakes.—
Abby Price,
Southern Living,
1 May 2026
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The brunch includes quiche Lorraine, crab and asparagus salad, breakfast potatoes and lemon-poppy cake and includes simple heating instructions.—
Amy Drew Thompson,
The Orlando Sentinel,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The nonprofit donated almost $200,000 to the church for the materials a grinch stole.—
Dawn White,
CBS News,
10 Dec. 2025
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To play off the flavor of the candy, the grinch-green dough has a subtle cinnamon flavor of its own.—
Alana Al-Hatlani,
Southern Living,
30 Nov. 2025
Noun
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But the rivalry between these teams runs deep, and the Penguins tried hard to throw a wet blanket on the Capitals' playoff hopes and Ovechkin's big day.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
12 Apr. 2026
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Regardless, the new hard-line stance on playing time was a wet blanket tossed onto an overachieving team.—
Dieter Kurtenbach,
Mercury News,
23 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Spoilsport.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spoilsport. Accessed 3 May. 2026.
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