1
as in laugh
something said or done to cause laughter
he was known for his hilarious jokes
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in parody
a poor, insincere, or insulting imitation of something
her rendition of the national anthem is a joke
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in fool
a person or thing that is made fun of
having lost his looks and his voice years ago, these days he's just a show business joke and fodder for late-night comedy
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to fun
to make jokes
he was known for his ability to joke about his lack of anything resembling a social life
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 joke
Erin Jensen, USA Today, 17 Apr. 2025
While the boyfriend's song choices leaned more towards expressing need than outright jokes, his methods could be interpreted humorously to signal his desire for connection and maintain intimacy within his long-term relationship.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Apr. 2025
Angel Saunders, People.com, 28 Feb. 2025
To some observers, the incessant joking was the sort of heartless mirth that social media had been running on for decades.
—Lauren Michele Jackson, The New Yorker, 27 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for joke
Noun
The jokes start rolling on Sept. 14 from Los Angeles' Peacock Theater.
—Erin Jensen, USA Today, 17 Apr. 2025
While the boyfriend's song choices leaned more towards expressing need than outright jokes, his methods could be interpreted humorously to signal his desire for connection and maintain intimacy within his long-term relationship.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Apr. 2025
Verb
The scene cuts to a confessional, where the Good American founder jokes that Scott should have been more careful while filming the past scene.
—Angel Saunders, People.com, 28 Feb. 2025
To some observers, the incessant joking was the sort of heartless mirth that social media had been running on for decades.
—Lauren Michele Jackson, The New Yorker, 27 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for joke
Recent Examples of Synonyms for joke
Noun
-
That sort of showboating elicits laughs from TV audiences, partly because today's younger shoppers are spending less on pricey goods and more on luxury experiences.—
Marco della Cava,
USA Today,
19 Apr. 2025
-
Sharing good laughs goes a long way to strengthening connections and relationships.—
Liz Guthridge,
Forbes.com,
18 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Imagination was key to the films that Hess made after Napoleon Dynamite: the soulful Nacho Libre, in which Jack Black as a novice monk and Lucha Libre fan gave a fully rounded characterization, and the ingenious fantasy-fiction parody Gentlemen Broncos.—
Armond White,
National Review,
16 Apr. 2025
-
Those include the parodies of commercials and public access programs that begin episodes, giving us introductions to Judaism and the French-Canadian mobsters and a particular brand of coffee in ways that, like so much in the series, feel fleetingly amusing rather than coherently realized.—
Daniel Fienberg,
HollywoodReporter,
15 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
True leaders are known for building things, fools for destroying them.—
Tom Zirpoli,
Baltimore Sun,
15 Apr. 2025
-
The mix of Greek mythology, robots and mechanical flying scorpions is a little all over the place, but my son was plenty entertained by Scooby and Shaggy’s ability to act like bumbling fools one minute and brave heroes the next.—
Dina Gachman,
New York Times,
4 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Fans of the finger food, made with a tortilla-crumb breading, can look forward to having it year-round, as Taco Bell teased plans to make nuggets part of the permanent menu by 2026.—
Tanasia Kenney,
Kansas City Star,
17 Apr. 2025
-
The trailer also teases a subplot involving a pregnancy between Sue Storm and Reed Richards, possibly hinting at the birth of their son, Franklin Richards, a character with universe-altering powers in Marvel lore.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
These caricatures are amusing, but nothing compared to when President Dutton finally has to strap up and blow away mercenaries like Rambo.—
Jordan Hoffman,
EW.com,
9 Apr. 2025
-
Pottery making, caricature illustrations, and other creative installations will also be available.—
Ella Gonzales,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
7 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Tillis’s seat will be a top target for Democrats to flip in 2026.—
Jared Gans,
The Hill,
9 Apr. 2025
-
Ukraine is fielding carrier drones or motherships to transport FPVs to the target area before launching them.—
David Hambling,
Forbes.com,
9 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
And neither Bibb, Le Bon nor Gries were kidding, as there wasn’t just one death, but five.—
Tim Lammers,
Forbes.com,
7 Apr. 2025
-
Who are Manager Brandon Hyde and General Manager Mike Elias kidding here?—
Reader Commentary,
Baltimore Sun,
28 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Princess Charlotte sticking her tongue out during a royal engagement and sending Princess Kate into a fit of giggles went newly viral on TikTok.—
Gordon G. Chang,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Apr. 2025
-
Other episodes induce giggles but don’t have the same punch and impact as those previously mentioned.—
Aramide Tinubu,
Variety,
27 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Joke.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/joke. Accessed 25 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share