as in clowning
wildly playful or mischievous behavior
their madcap buffoonery turned the duo into the nation's hottest comedy act
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of buffoonery
Death by Lightning, adapted by Mike Makowsky from Candice Millard’s 2011 nonfiction book and directed by Matt Ross, hums with the strength of these performances, particularly Shannon’s quiet composure and Macfadyen mining new depths of buffoonery.
—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
1 Dec. 2025
Since medieval times, the colorful fool—from court jesters to Shakespeare’s characters—has used playful wit to critique authority and buffoonery to whip up excitement.
—
Time,
30 Oct. 2025
Their relationship, tentative, intimate, and defiant, lingers long after the satirical skewering of male buffoonery has faded.
—
Leila Latif,
IndieWire,
5 Sep. 2025
He’s been tinkering with this messaging on and off since damn near the start of the century, when his criticism of the genre shifted from the power-holding executives (both white and Black) of the music industry who were profiting off buffoonery, a la Bamboozled, to rap music itself.
—
Alphonse Pierre,
Pitchfork,
15 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for buffoonery
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
1 Dec. 2025
Since medieval times, the colorful fool—from court jesters to Shakespeare’s characters—has used playful wit to critique authority and buffoonery to whip up excitement.
—
Time,
30 Oct. 2025
Their relationship, tentative, intimate, and defiant, lingers long after the satirical skewering of male buffoonery has faded.
—
Leila Latif,
IndieWire,
5 Sep. 2025
He’s been tinkering with this messaging on and off since damn near the start of the century, when his criticism of the genre shifted from the power-holding executives (both white and Black) of the music industry who were profiting off buffoonery, a la Bamboozled, to rap music itself.
—
Alphonse Pierre,
Pitchfork,
15 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for buffoonery
Recent Examples of Synonyms for buffoonery
Noun
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The clowning might be a little too effortful.
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As the race unfolds in real time, there’s clowning, collisions, sabotage, surprises, comedy, chaos and more.
Noun
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Oh, but the Padres manager was ready with the joking last night.
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Still, Yoon’s joking somehow lightens the mood.
Noun
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The project has been plagued by technical issues, supplier disputes, and alleged tomfoolery—empty mini tequila bottles were reportedly discovered on one of the airplanes under construction.
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The latest tomfoolery consisted of a posting on Twitter/X last week that provided a picture of a genuine Monet painting, and the picture was labeled as supposedly being AI-generated.
Noun
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When horseplay turns into an impromptu hookup, neither of the young men fight the urge.
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After France’s 4-3 victory against Argentina at the 2018 World Cup in Russia, horseplay between the players at the team hotel culminated in back-up centre-back Adil Rami setting off a fire extinguisher in the early hours of the morning.
Noun
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Jeffrey Jones played Principal Ed Rooney, Ferris' nemesis, who is dead set on catching Bueller in his foolery, but ultimately fails at his mission.
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One way to stop this proliferation of deep-fake nudity is to prosecute the offenders and make examples that such foolery has consequences.
Noun
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The frenetic antics of Illumination‘s mascot army of yellow miscreants have always been indebted to vintage slapstick.
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And the slapstick with the painting, that was a big one.
Noun
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Bubble skirts had their moment, but balloon pants bring the same sense of playfulness to any outfit.
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Fun and playfulness definitely trumped the grind here.
Noun
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As expected, Aussies brought the roughhousing.
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The boys challenge each other to throw heavy objects, which leads to intense roughhousing.
Cite this Entry
“Buffoonery.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/buffoonery. Accessed 3 Jul. 2026.
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