1
as in parody
a work that imitates and exaggerates another work for comic effect
the movie is a rib of the "dramatic love story" that was so popular in the 1950s
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2
as in joke
something said or done to cause laughter
began to lose his sense of humor after being the butt of his friends' ribs once too often
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of rib
Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 Apr. 2025
Ipswich inflicted Chelsea’s first away defeat of the season in December, but with in-demand striker Liam Delap only named on the bench for this match because of a rib injury, few would have expected the visitors to provide much resistance.
—Simon Johnson, New York Times, 13 Apr. 2025
Starr Bowenbank, People.com, 4 Apr. 2025
It’s designed with a deep V-neckline, six-button front, and ribbed trim.
—Jamie Allison Sanders, People.com, 2 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rib
Noun
According to police reports cited by FOX 35 Orlando, the items included skull fragments, a clavicle, scapula, ribs, vertebrae, and a partial skull, with prices ranging from $35 to $850.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 Apr. 2025
Ipswich inflicted Chelsea’s first away defeat of the season in December, but with in-demand striker Liam Delap only named on the bench for this match because of a rib injury, few would have expected the visitors to provide much resistance.
—Simon Johnson, New York Times, 13 Apr. 2025
Verb
In the first picture, she's seen wearing a brown ribbed cardigan and a pair of jeans, with shoulder length hair parted on the side.
—Starr Bowenbank, People.com, 4 Apr. 2025
It’s designed with a deep V-neckline, six-button front, and ribbed trim.
—Jamie Allison Sanders, People.com, 2 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rib
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rib
Noun
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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
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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
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Trump sued Maher in 2013 for $5 million after the comedian made a crass joke about his mother and an orangutan.—
Steff Danielle Thomas,
The Hill,
19 Apr. 2025
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Andrews adds musical interludes, which don’t always work, and brutal jokes, which do.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
18 Apr. 2025
Verb
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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
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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
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The suspects are using a spoof number and identifying themselves as Officers from the Peoria Police Department.—
Gordon G. Chang,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Apr. 2025
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Former presidential candidates in election years sought to be pranksters (Hillary Clinton, in a somewhat strained spoof, challenged then-Sen. Barack Obama to a bowling night).—
Alexis Simendinger,
The Hill,
1 Apr. 2025
Noun
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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
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Sharing good laughs goes a long way to strengthening connections and relationships.—
Liz Guthridge,
Forbes.com,
18 Apr. 2025
Verb
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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
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Who are Manager Brandon Hyde and General Manager Mike Elias kidding here?—
Reader Commentary,
Baltimore Sun,
28 Mar. 2025
Noun
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The story works less as a Hollywood satire than as a survival thriller.—
Ben Rosenstock,
Vulture,
10 Apr. 2025
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Scottish actor Capaldi, the twelfth Doctor in the Doctor Who universe (2013–2017), won several awards, including a British Academy Television Award, for his performance as Malcolm Tucker in the beloved satire The Thick of It (2005–2012).—
Randall Colburn,
EW.com,
10 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Read Next National Newborn yak and her mama are ‘doing great’ at Alaska Zoo.—
Irene Wright,
Miami Herald,
27 Mar. 2025
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On March 19, a Tibetan yak named Iris gave birth to what zookeepers believe is a girl, according to a March 20 Facebook post by the Alaska Zoo.—
Paloma Chavez,
Sacbee.com,
25 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Rib.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rib. Accessed 27 Apr. 2025.
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