screwball

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

In “Trouble,” she buzzes with nervous energy, her dizzying delivery of Raphaelson’s smart dialogue creating the template for the screwball heroines soon to follow.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 10, 2026

Hollywood thrived in this tough decade partly by catering to people’s need for fantasy and escapism, through screwball comedies, adventure stories and the elaborate musicals of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 21, 2026

A hospital room scene featuring Reese Witherspoon, Paul Rudd, Jack Nicholson, Lenny Venito and Kathryn Hahn is a modern screwball master class.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 24, 2025

That’s why screwball comedies didn’t try to upend capitalism, just have some clever fun with it and let a simple love story stick the landing.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 17, 2025

As we shall see, many prescriptive rules originated for screwball reasons, impede clear and graceful prose, and have been flouted by the best writers for centuries.

From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker