travesties 1 of 2

noun

plural of travesty
1
as in parodies
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 spoofs
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

travesties

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of travesty
as in mocks
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

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of travesties
Noun
By the season’s end, in fact, more than a few travesties are laid at Peter’s feet. — Hunter Ingram, Variety, 8 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for travesties
  1. parodies
  2. spoofs
  3. mocks
  4. caricatures
  5. imitates
  6. jokes
Noun
  • MacDonald and editor Phil Hignett have a keen, witty sense of how the online realm crashes offline living, seamlessly integrating deadly-accurate TikTok parodies into the film’s breezy narrative flow.
    — Guy Lodge, Variety, 26 Aug. 2026
  • The internet quickly responded to the viral moment with reactions and parodies.
    — Catherine Santino, PEOPLE, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of parodies
Noun
  • It's been a great couple of years for horror movies, which means that the time was right for the return of horror spoofs.
    — K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 26 Aug. 2026
  • The goofy sketch comedies and homemade spoofs that once filled his channel gradually disappeared, replaced by melancholy short films and bleak monologues.
    — Stephanie Nolasco, FOXNews.com, 27 June 2026
Definition of spoofs
Verb
  • Trump routinely mocks Newsom and refers to the governor using a derogatory nickname, while Newsom taunts the president with frequent social media posts.
    — Darlene Superville, Fortune, 4 Aug. 2026
  • By and large, the General Assembly mocks his policy proposals and ignores his leadership.
    — Torrey Snow, Baltimore Sun, 18 July 2026
Definition of mocks
Noun
  • King managed to take the suffocating history of the Indian — the treaties, the massacres, the Hollywood caricatures — and turn it into something conversational, even funny.
    — Tommy Orange, Vulture, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Retailer Target pulled a children’s Halloween costume from its shelves Monday after widespread social media backlash, apologizing for selling a garment critics said evoked racist minstrel caricatures.
    — Nancy Jiang, Fortune, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of caricatures
Verb
  • Sometimes life imitates art, but other times, art imitates life.
    — Andrea Wurzburger, PEOPLE, 18 July 2026
  • The undulating roofline imitates the Allegheny Mountains, and 38 steel columns create a canopy reminiscent of the region's forests, Prix Versailles says.
    — Madeline Bartos, CBS News, 15 June 2026
Definition of imitates
Noun
  • There was nothing particularly novel about the show’s premise, but the scripts were refreshingly dense with jokes, prioritizing laughs over contrived drama or seasonlong relationship arcs.
    — Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 28 Aug. 2026
  • The order, which directs federal officials to formalize the name change within 30 days, quickly sparked backlash, jokes and parody proposals.
    — Gabe Hauari, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of jokes

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Cite this Entry

“Travesties.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/travesties. Accessed 3 Sep. 2026.

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