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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of deadpan
One of his most recent curatorial successes, a 2023-24 retrospective of Ed Ruscha, known for his deadpan wit, received praise from critics.
—
Zachary Small, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2025
In expressing their disbelief, people have been known to run away screaming or even burst into tears while Blaine maintains his deadpan, stoic facade.
—Jenelle Riley, Variety, 22 Mar. 2025
Armed with her signature razor-sharp wit and deadpan charm, Wednesday is also plunged into a new bone-chilling supernatural mystery.
—Dan Perry, Newsweek, 18 Mar. 2025
Gonzales also has the right deadpan style to carry the tone of the books.
—Matthew J. Palm, Orlando Sentinel, 13 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for deadpan
Zachary Small, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2025
In expressing their disbelief, people have been known to run away screaming or even burst into tears while Blaine maintains his deadpan, stoic facade.
—Jenelle Riley, Variety, 22 Mar. 2025
Armed with her signature razor-sharp wit and deadpan charm, Wednesday is also plunged into a new bone-chilling supernatural mystery.
—Dan Perry, Newsweek, 18 Mar. 2025
Gonzales also has the right deadpan style to carry the tone of the books.
—Matthew J. Palm, Orlando Sentinel, 13 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for deadpan
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deadpan
Adjective
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What once sat blank and unmoving begins to flow and creak and jerk beneath its own weight.—
Laura Poppick
July 22,
Literary Hub,
22 July 2025
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Pinterest is flooded with soft-launch ideas: two plates on the dinner table, two silhouettes cast against a blank wall, two pairs of shoes sitting next to one another.—
Kameryn Griesser,
CNN Money,
22 July 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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This enigmatic character used his power to control the time-stream in a post-Crisis on Infinite Earths scenario to create a smaller universe with only two populated planets: our Earth and Krypton.—
Fran Ruiz,
Space.com,
17 July 2025
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Other notable cast members include John Lithgow as Hogwarts headmaster Albus Dumbledore; Paapa Essiedu as enigmatic potions professor Severus Snape; and Lox Pratt as Hogwarts bully Draco Malfoy.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
15 July 2025
Adjective
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Blount, who appeared wearing a white button-down shirt and tie, his hands shackled in front of him, his bulging gut and beige tie spilling over his beige pants, appeared impassive and refused to meet his victim’s gaze as Rothschild addressed him personally.—
Colin Mixson,
New York Daily News,
10 July 2025
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Director and screenwriter Brian Koppelman returns as the wonderfully impassive numbers man to Uncle Jimmy (Oliver Platt), a guy everyone simply refers to as Computer.—
Nina Metz,
Chicago Tribune,
26 June 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 30 Jul. 2025.
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