harlequins

plural of harlequin
as in clowns
a comically dressed performer (as at a circus) who entertains with playful tricks and ridiculous behavior among the court entertainers waiting to enter the grand hall were masked harlequins in brightly colored pantaloons

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Recent Examples of Synonyms for harlequins
clowns
Noun
  • His high-fashion clowns, bears and other quirks always deliver.
    — Tonya Blazio-Licorish, Footwear News, 18 Oct. 2026
  • The gasoline shortage has become such a feature of daily life that even clowns at Moscow’s circus have cracked jokes about it.
    — Ivan Nechepurenko, New York Times, 4 Oct. 2026
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“Harlequins.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/harlequins. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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