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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of travesty
David Peduto, Baltimore Sun, 11 June 2025
The ‘things that are happening’ on her watch are travesties, national embarrassments, and moral failures.
—Matthew Medsger, Boston Herald, 12 May 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
Sending Afghans back to Afghanistan today would be worse than the travesty that occurred at Cuba’s Bay of Pigs.
—David Peduto, Baltimore Sun, 11 June 2025
The ‘things that are happening’ on her watch are travesties, national embarrassments, and moral failures.
—Matthew Medsger, Boston Herald, 12 May 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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Fittingly, Yankovic and Miranda pulled together a parody of the viral Coldplay Cheating Camera with some help from Colbert’s late-night peers.—
Larisha Paul,
Rolling Stone,
22 July 2025
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Colbert soon developed a character for himself, a parody of conservative political pundits loosely based on Bill O'Reilly, then on Fox News.—
Kelly Lawler,
USA Today,
19 July 2025
Noun
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Following the success of 1980 spoof film Airplane!, which made $78 million at the box office ($214 million today) co-directors David Zucker, Jim Abrahams and Jerry Zucker hoped to make a similar comedy about police officers inspired by the 1950s Lee Marvin drama series M Squad.—
Ryan Gajewski,
HollywoodReporter,
13 July 2025
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The actress hosted a cookout with Bounty on June 25 in Los Angeles, and there, and shared her barbecue essentials and favorite scene from the spoof with PEOPLE. Hall, 54, has positive memories of working with Keenan Ivory Wayans for the first time on the set of the 2000 classic.—
Angelina Liu,
People.com,
7 July 2025
Verb
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He was previously mocked on social media during a loss to Austin Peay in November, when the Fox College Hoops broadcast showed Clark sitting in the stands.—
Jackson Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
19 July 2025
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The longtime litigator mocked the Mexican president's response.—
Michael Loria,
USA Today,
18 July 2025
Noun
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Buddusky tries to fill the room with noise, jokes, bluster.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
24 July 2025
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According to the site, there were allegedly posts that included fat-shaming and rape jokes, among other topics via the Q&A platform Curious Cat.—
Ilana Kaplan,
People.com,
24 July 2025
Verb
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Perhaps the Lake Bluff streakers heard of those at CLC and wanted to imitate them.—
Charles Selle,
Chicago Tribune,
23 July 2025
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The park’s hub-and-spoke design has been copied by parks around the world, but the caliber of Disneyland’s craftsmanship wasn’t easily imitated.—
Eve Chen,
USA Today,
18 July 2025
Noun
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Benson drew caricatures of departing staff (and, as columnist EJ Montini recounts, to playfully mock their disagreements).—
Joanna Allhands,
AZCentral.com,
10 July 2025
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This caricature of an all-powerful, morally bankrupt no-goodnik is actually the oldest immortal around.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
2 July 2025
Verb
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The Great Lakes freighter sank — one of the largest on Lake Superior ever to do so — during a violent November storm in 1975 while carrying Minnesota ore.—
Frank Witsil,
Freep.com,
23 July 2025
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The audience knows more about Jane than Xavier does.—
Maureen Lee Lenker,
EW.com,
22 July 2025
Noun
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The California high-speed rail project is a sham and should have been stopped many years ago.—
The Editorial Board,
Oc Register,
20 July 2025
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Some ought to know better: The false and horrific accusation before the highly politicized International Criminal Court is a total sham.—
Jason D. Greenblatt,
MSNBC Newsweek,
16 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Travesty.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/travesty. Accessed 30 Jul. 2025.
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