Clowns (8)
I believe the answer is:
buffoons
<span class="explanation-format__ClueExplanation">'<span class="explanation-format__original">clowns</span>' is the definition.<br/ ><span class="explanation-format__explanation">('buffoon' can be a synonym of 'clown')</span><br/ ><br/ >This is the entire clue.<br/ ></span>
(Other definitions for buffoons that I've seen before include "Rude or vulgar fools" , "Clowns or dolts" .)