as in blank
not expressing any emotion
he delivered the joke in such a deadpan voice that we thought at first that he was serious
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of deadpan
Coel, the boundary-pushing revelation from I May Destroy You, is a perfect foil, hiding Lori’s feelings behind her deadpan delivery, unblinking sphinx-like stare and wary body language but poised to shoot barbs when the moment calls for them.
—
David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 9 Sep. 2025
His banter with deadpan Principal Woodman (John Sylvester White) and his loving, eye-rolling wife Julie (Marcia Strassman) brought the series full circle, blending schoolyard shenanigans with heartfelt adult comedy.
—Marc Berman, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025
Droll and deadpan, Starnone’s novel offers an accounting of the tolls and the consolations of lifelong artistic pursuit.
—The New Yorker, New Yorker, 8 Sep. 2025
Best of all though is Reeves, channeling his own 1989 comic past from Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure or a bit of Todd Higgins from Parenthood to bring deadpan delight as the well-meaning but constantly screwing up angel trying to do good but being so bad at it.
—Pete Hammond, Deadline, 7 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for deadpan
David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 9 Sep. 2025
His banter with deadpan Principal Woodman (John Sylvester White) and his loving, eye-rolling wife Julie (Marcia Strassman) brought the series full circle, blending schoolyard shenanigans with heartfelt adult comedy.
—Marc Berman, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025
Droll and deadpan, Starnone’s novel offers an accounting of the tolls and the consolations of lifelong artistic pursuit.
—The New Yorker, New Yorker, 8 Sep. 2025
Best of all though is Reeves, channeling his own 1989 comic past from Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure or a bit of Todd Higgins from Parenthood to bring deadpan delight as the well-meaning but constantly screwing up angel trying to do good but being so bad at it.
—Pete Hammond, Deadline, 7 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for deadpan
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deadpan
Adjective
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The opening splash screen outlines all the different features available to you, from starting with a blank canvas to recording yourself through your webcam.—
David Nield,
Popular Science,
18 Sep. 2025
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In the General Tab there is a blank space under Launch Options.—
Paul Tassi,
Forbes.com,
18 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Bale ran to the corner of the pitch, and, having been an expressionless bystander for much of the evening, shouted in ecstasy.—
Hua Hsu,
The New Yorker,
21 Nov. 2022
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The company poured $10 billion into its Reality Labs division last year, and CEO Mark Zuckerberg was criticized last week after posting a selfie that showed an expressionless version of his avatar in front of the Eiffel Tower.—
Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez,
Fortune,
30 Aug. 2022
Adjective
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Perseverance's adventures have revealed some insights about the enigmatic Martian geology.—
Eric Lagatta,
USA Today,
11 Sep. 2025
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Recommendations The Honanki Heritage Site, built by ancestors of the Hopi tribe, transports you to the 12th to 14th centuries with enigmatic cliff dwellings, pictographs and petroglyphs.—
New York Times,
New York Times,
10 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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There are also plenty of promotional materials dating from the building’s launch, and in one video clip, Kurokawa sells the merits of the building to an impassive audience of smoking businessmen.—
Anthony Paletta,
Curbed,
2 Sep. 2025
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She is described, variously, as quirky, impassive, naive, vulgar, blithely optimistic.—
Judy Berman,
Time,
20 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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But the drama can be very stolid, borderline dull at times.—
Jordan Mintzer,
HollywoodReporter,
24 May 2025
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Michelle DeYoung was a somewhat stolid Herodias, Piotr Buszewski a fiercely ardent Narraboth.—
Alex Ross,
New Yorker,
19 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Deadpan.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deadpan. Accessed 19 Sep. 2025.
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