1
as in parodies
a poor, insincere, or insulting imitation of something
that TV network's reporting is a mere caricature of real journalism
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in spoofs
a work that imitates and exaggerates another work for comic effect
the artist creates caricatures of famous paintings by replacing humans with cats
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in exaggerations
the representation of something in terms that go beyond the facts
the mayor has presented only a caricature of his opponent's views
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in mocks
to copy or exaggerate (someone or something) in order to make fun of
caricatured the supervisor's distinctive walk
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of caricatures
Ian Kerner 19 Hr Ago, CNN Money, 3 Feb. 2026
In a show full of caricatures, Moira was the loudest and least plausible.
—Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 30 Jan. 2026
This has the unfortunate consequence of making both Anna and Jack paper-thin caricatures of the ambitious reporter and small town cop.
—Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
In lesser hands, the roles could be caricatures.
—Brent Lang, Variety, 27 Jan. 2026
Red velvet, dark wood accents, and walls lined with caricatures of Washington’s political elite—past and present—set the stage for a memorable experience, one that feels equal parts old-school power lounge and playful take on the city’s history.
—Kait Hanson, Southern Living, 11 Jan. 2026
Chamberlain also included a drawing of the girls in the group done on a paper tablecloth which included caricatures of Carpenter, Sandoval, Chamberlain and Sarah, as well as Carpenter's friend Amber Mark.
—Tabitha Parent, PEOPLE, 6 Jan. 2026
In other words, the caricatures themselves created the conflict.
—Justin Angle, The Conversation, 6 Jan. 2026
Most importantly, each of the transmasculine characters featured in Crawl feel like real people, which is a grand departure from the hollow caricatures we’re usually fed, whose personalities start and end with being trans.
—Ana Osorno, Them., 21 Nov. 2025
Noun
In pop culture, the representation of gay men has largely been limited to a narrow list of tragic themes and undignified caricatures, Duquette said.
—Ian Kerner 19 Hr Ago, CNN Money, 3 Feb. 2026
In a show full of caricatures, Moira was the loudest and least plausible.
—Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 30 Jan. 2026
This has the unfortunate consequence of making both Anna and Jack paper-thin caricatures of the ambitious reporter and small town cop.
—Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
In lesser hands, the roles could be caricatures.
—Brent Lang, Variety, 27 Jan. 2026
Red velvet, dark wood accents, and walls lined with caricatures of Washington’s political elite—past and present—set the stage for a memorable experience, one that feels equal parts old-school power lounge and playful take on the city’s history.
—Kait Hanson, Southern Living, 11 Jan. 2026
Chamberlain also included a drawing of the girls in the group done on a paper tablecloth which included caricatures of Carpenter, Sandoval, Chamberlain and Sarah, as well as Carpenter's friend Amber Mark.
—Tabitha Parent, PEOPLE, 6 Jan. 2026
In other words, the caricatures themselves created the conflict.
—Justin Angle, The Conversation, 6 Jan. 2026
Most importantly, each of the transmasculine characters featured in Crawl feel like real people, which is a grand departure from the hollow caricatures we’re usually fed, whose personalities start and end with being trans.
—Ana Osorno, Them., 21 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for caricatures
Noun
-
The films remained popular throughout the early 1940s, and their impact persevered via reruns, rereleases, and even parodies, such as Eddie Murphy's not-so-little Buckwheat on Saturday Night Live.—
Andrew Walsh,
Entertainment Weekly,
30 Jan. 2026
-
O’Hara’s celebrity parodies for SCTV included Brooke Shields, Lucille Ball, Elizabeth Taylor, Katherine Hepburn, Morgan Fairchild and gossip columnist Rona Barrett.—
Greg Evans,
Deadline,
30 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Way better than dusty game show and dinner party spoofs.—
Andy Hoglund,
Entertainment Weekly,
18 Jan. 2026
-
What’s Upstairs at the Downstairs is always a patchwork of mild satire, blatant spoofs, witty music, local jokes.—
Laird Borrelli-Persson,
Vogue,
21 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
Schultz declined to respond to the litany of accusations, calling them exaggerations and mischaracterizations.—
Tony Saavedra,
Oc Register,
24 Jan. 2026
-
While some of his bold claims have come true, others have gone down as vast exaggerations or outright lies.—
Chris Young,
Interesting Engineering,
20 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Chelsea Handler honors Rob Reiner, mocks DiCaprio's 'Titanic' vacationNeed a news break?—
Anna Kaufman,
USA Today,
5 Jan. 2026
-
There, Callahan mocks him, saying that killing him won't assuage Mike of his guilt.—
Randall Colburn,
Entertainment Weekly,
28 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
Gross-out jokes don’t always play well for a broad crowd that often includes families and kids.—
Brian Steinberg,
Variety,
8 Feb. 2026
-
Melania also recently made headlines in a new way when distributor Amazon MGM asked a theater in Oregon to stop screening the film due to some viral jokes on its marquee.—
James Hibberd,
HollywoodReporter,
6 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Colors take center stage, embedding references to the paintings and glasswork in European churches, the hues of the natural landscape in China’s Dunhuang county, as well as to the iconography and embroideries from the Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern dynasties in ancient China.—
Sandra Salibian,
Footwear News,
13 Jan. 2026
-
In Italy, Antonio Marras combined rugged denim with delicate lace and embroideries.—
Angela Velasquez,
Sourcing Journal,
22 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Patagonia’s proprietary synthetic fill imitates down’s structure by spinning air-trapping microfilaments around a central fiber and requires fewer stabilizing seams and baffles than down.—
Kelly Bastone,
Outside,
10 Feb. 2026
-
And, because life sometimes imitates art, Williams and Storrie are heading to the Olympics.—
Anna Zucca,
Vanity Fair,
23 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Alice’s family is proud of her New Yorker cartoons and covers.—
The New Yorker,
New Yorker,
9 Feb. 2026
-
Another wall is for sitcoms, tributes to videos and cartoons.—
Pamela McLoughlin,
Hartford Courant,
6 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Caricatures.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/caricatures. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
