as in hotdogging
to engage in attention-getting playful or boisterous behavior
the gymnast was showboating for the cameras when she lost her balance and fell
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for showboating
Verb
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In April 2020, Iglesias shared a video of him horsing around with Lucy and Nicholas as the pair attempted to climb on his back for a ride.—
Andrea Wurzburger,
PEOPLE,
19 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Meanwhile, as all of this is happening, Meredith is cutting up with the other ladies at the spa, without a care in the world.—
Tom Smyth,
Vulture,
31 Dec. 2025
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Ford is planning on cutting up to 1,000 roles in electric-vehicle production in Germany.—
Hugh Cameron,
MSNBC Newsweek,
16 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Our sunsets look like the sky is showing off every single evening.—
Becky Bartkowski,
AZCentral.com,
14 Feb. 2026
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The males dance, showing off their vivid abdomen, and vibrate along to a beat in a bid to impress their mate.—
K. R. Callaway,
Scientific American,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The transition was rough for Ansari, who wasn’t fluent in English and often got in trouble for fooling around in school.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Feb. 2026
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Gisin hopes that by fooling around with measurements of these more exotic states, physicists will come to better understand the role of measurement in general.—
Quanta Magazine,
Quanta Magazine,
8 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Likewise, when the young men started acting up, Josephine Holt took a keen interest in her newspaper.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
21 Jan. 2026
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If your trackpad is acting up, keyboard shortcuts can keep you productive without fighting the cursor.—
Ken Colburn,
AZCentral.com,
19 Jan. 2026
Verb
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But, for those looking for a slightly less intensive experience, the semi-serious murder party—which tends to take place, and to wrap up, during one dinner—has come roaring back in popularity.—
Rachel Syme,
New Yorker,
13 Feb. 2026
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There are also roaring fireplaces in the communal areas (usually presided over by a moose or elk bust), oodles of wood and leather furniture, pieces of Indigenous art throughout, and floor-to-ceiling windows facing the mountains.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
11 Feb. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Showboating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/showboating. Accessed 17 Feb. 2026.
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