as in clown
a comically dressed performer (as at a circus) who entertains with playful tricks and ridiculous behavior
among the court entertainers waiting to enter the grand hall were masked harlequins in brightly colored pantaloons
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Recent Examples of harlequin
In these respects, apart from the harlequin excesses of his Stalinism, Cowley is terrifically sound.
—
Vince Passaro, Harpers Magazine, 30 Dec. 2025
That is, until Episode 3, when the terrifying harlequin seems to finally appear from the pitch black depths of a crypt inside the Derry cemetery.
—Katie Campione, Deadline, 9 Nov. 2025
Speaking of South Africa, harlequin flower (Sparaxis tricolor) is another cormaceous plant from that part of the world.
—Joshua Siskin, Oc Register, 25 Oct. 2025
Our first glimpse of Gacy in full harlequin regalia is our last.
—Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 15 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for harlequin
Vince Passaro, Harpers Magazine, 30 Dec. 2025
That is, until Episode 3, when the terrifying harlequin seems to finally appear from the pitch black depths of a crypt inside the Derry cemetery.
—Katie Campione, Deadline, 9 Nov. 2025
Speaking of South Africa, harlequin flower (Sparaxis tricolor) is another cormaceous plant from that part of the world.
—Joshua Siskin, Oc Register, 25 Oct. 2025
Our first glimpse of Gacy in full harlequin regalia is our last.
—Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 15 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for harlequin
Recent Examples of Synonyms for harlequin
clown
Noun
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When Feld Entertainment unveiled a new edition of the circus with much fanfare in 2023, the only animal in it was a mechanical robot dog and while there was some comedy, traditional circus clowns were not a part of it.—
Christopher Arnott,
Hartford Courant,
5 Apr. 2026
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In Nuremberg,Göring is closer to a sad clown than to a monster.—
Alice Kaplan,
The New York Review of Books,
4 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Harlequin.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/harlequin. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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