1
as in parody
a poor, insincere, or insulting imitation of something
rigged from the start, his trial was a travesty of justice
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in spoof
a work that imitates and exaggerates another work for comic effect
the big-screen version of the classic sitcom is actually a good-natured travesty of the TV series
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in to parody
to copy or exaggerate (someone or something) in order to make fun of
this comedy sketch mindlessly travesties the hard work of relief workers around the world
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Recent Examples of travesty
Mike Davis, The Denver Post, 19 Mar. 2025
Currently, not every state provides free lunch for all students, which is nothing short of a travesty.
—Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 3 Mar. 2025
The New Republic, 22 June 2023
Readers may be tempted to side at one moment with the defenders of Jewish caution and Jewish sentiment, however their instincts are travestied, and soon afterward with Zuckerman’s principled view of the autonomy of art.
—Cynthia Ozick, WSJ, 25 May 2018
See All Example Sentences for travesty
Noun
The Justice Department, however, can and must hold those responsible for this travesty accountable to the maximum legal extent.
—Mike Davis, The Denver Post, 19 Mar. 2025
Currently, not every state provides free lunch for all students, which is nothing short of a travesty.
—Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 3 Mar. 2025
Verb
In 1933, the Marx Brothers mocked dictatorship with Duck Soup; three decades later, Kubrick and writer Terry Southern travestied the Bomb.
—The New Republic, 22 June 2023
Readers may be tempted to side at one moment with the defenders of Jewish caution and Jewish sentiment, however their instincts are travestied, and soon afterward with Zuckerman’s principled view of the autonomy of art.
—Cynthia Ozick, WSJ, 25 May 2018
See All Example Sentences for travesty
Recent Examples of Synonyms for travesty
Noun
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Imagination was key to the films that Hess made after Napoleon Dynamite: the soulful Nacho Libre, in which Jack Black as a novice monk and Lucha Libre fan gave a fully rounded characterization, and the ingenious fantasy-fiction parody Gentlemen Broncos.—
Armond White,
National Review,
16 Apr. 2025
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Those include the parodies of commercials and public access programs that begin episodes, giving us introductions to Judaism and the French-Canadian mobsters and a particular brand of coffee in ways that, like so much in the series, feel fleetingly amusing rather than coherently realized.—
Daniel Fienberg,
HollywoodReporter,
15 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Plot details for The Naked Gun are being kept under wraps, but like the first three movies, viewers can expect a cop spoof filled with ridiculous sight gags.—
Christopher Rudolph,
People.com,
6 Apr. 2025
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Beginning in the ‘30s and really hitting their stride in the glorious color animation of the ‘40s and ‘50s, the Warner Bros. cartoons have certainly stretched the bounds of what’s possible in 8-11 minutes, from full opera spoofs to fourth-wall-breaking experiments.—
Sarah Shachat,
IndieWire,
17 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Constance, the policy consultant, says his 29-year-old daughter had joined other liberal family members in mocking him over his participation in NatalCon.—
Meena Duerson,
CNN Money,
10 Apr. 2025
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Altman mocked Musk by making a counter-offer to buy X for $9.7 billion.—
Jibin Joseph,
PC Magazine,
10 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Trump sued Maher in 2013 for $5 million after the comedian made a crass joke about his mother and an orangutan.—
Steff Danielle Thomas,
The Hill,
19 Apr. 2025
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Andrews adds musical interludes, which don’t always work, and brutal jokes, which do.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
18 Apr. 2025
Verb
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The Cubs beat the Dodgers 16-0 on Saturday, featuring an entertaining moment in which position-player-pitching Miguel Rojas imitated the deliveries of a few Dodgers pitchers.—
Ken Rosenthal,
New York Times,
14 Apr. 2025
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Moreover, these models can imitate individuals' or industries' writing styles and wording.—
Kevin Korte,
Forbes.com,
8 Apr. 2025
Noun
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These caricatures are amusing, but nothing compared to when President Dutton finally has to strap up and blow away mercenaries like Rambo.—
Jordan Hoffman,
EW.com,
9 Apr. 2025
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Pottery making, caricature illustrations, and other creative installations will also be available.—
Ella Gonzales,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
7 Apr. 2025
Verb
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But another South Florida spot did: Itamae Ao, a Nikkei-style Peruvian-Japanese spot in Miami, earned its first Michelin star.—
Connie Ogle,
Miami Herald,
18 Apr. 2025
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Here’s hoping these two titans of the game meet one more time in the postseason before they’re done.—
Josh Yohe,
New York Times,
18 Apr. 2025
Noun
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There are plenty of superhero properties out there that fall into the trap of having their antagonists do something heinous to prove that their otherwise just reasons are a sham, but surely in this case, if Maximus (Iwan Rheon) hadn’t staged a coup, another of the Inhuman subjects would’ve. 23.—
Nola Pfau,
Vulture,
17 Apr. 2025
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The sunny set includes a quilt in twin/twin XL, full/queen, and king sizes and matching shams to create a cohesive look in your space.—
Megan Schaltegger,
Better Homes & Gardens,
12 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Travesty.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/travesty. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.
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