as in joke
good-natured teasing or exchanging of clever remarks
members of the Algonquin Round Table were known for their brilliant and witty banter
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
as in to joke
to make jokes
the teacher bantered pleasantly, albeit a bit awkwardly, with the students at the school dance
Synonyms & Similar Words
Examples 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 banter
Valerie Mesa, People.com, 18 Dec. 2024
There was flirtatious banter, Dimoldenberg’s characteristic ribbing, and Garfield constantly devolving into a fit of giggles.
—Karen Yuan, Bon Appétit, 18 Dec. 2024
Brady Brickner-Wood, The New Yorker, 10 Oct. 2024
My only hope is that Yancy wakes up for long enough to banter with him, because Vaughn and Delaney are certainly among the great banterers of our time.
—Erin Qualey, Vulture, 28 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for banter 
Noun
Embrace witty banter, spontaneous pow wow and the thrill of discovering something new about the world — and yourself.
—Valerie Mesa, People.com, 18 Dec. 2024
There was flirtatious banter, Dimoldenberg’s characteristic ribbing, and Garfield constantly devolving into a fit of giggles.
—Karen Yuan, Bon Appétit, 18 Dec. 2024
Verb
When a public figure sits across from a podcast host to embark on a purportedly shapeless, stream-of-consciousness chat suffused with crude jokes and senseless tangents, an odd alchemy occurs: the speakers begin to sound like pals bantering at a pre-game, with the listener as a silent confidant.
—Brady Brickner-Wood, The New Yorker, 10 Oct. 2024
My only hope is that Yancy wakes up for long enough to banter with him, because Vaughn and Delaney are certainly among the great banterers of our time.
—Erin Qualey, Vulture, 28 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for banter
Recent Examples of Synonyms for banter
Noun
-
Humor is a helpful tool in dealing with tension and stress, so making jokes about an incident that can help manage the feelings of cognitive dissonance and helplessness news like this can elicit.Callum Booth, Forbes, 13 Jan. 2025
-
Speaking over Zoom, Vidal told me that in 2019 many people took Trump’s suggestion about buying Greenland as a joke.John Cassidy, The New Yorker, 13 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
The fake laugh would be ‘gasp gasp,’ a kind of inhale.Susan Morrison, The New Yorker, 13 Jan. 2025
-
Rivers said with a laugh before his Bucks’ faced Thibodeau’s Knicks at Madison Square Garden.Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 12 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
In The Kitchen, Wesker tracked the decorum from friendly badinage to hostile vernacular that co-workers sustain just to get through the day.Armond White, National Review, 30 Oct. 2024
-
While Hawley hasn’t left behind any of his signature philosophical dialogue or memorable badinage, Season 5 is also the most reliant on the camera to make its points.Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 13 Aug. 2024
Noun
-
The audience was often in stitches thanks to her witty repartee—and Stewart has given his seal of approval.Billie Schwab Dunn, Newsweek, 6 Jan. 2025
-
The resulting series has a lot of fun with its premise, boosted even further by the affectionate repartee between stars Stephanie Hsu and Zosia Mamet.Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 17 Dec. 2024
Noun
-
Though, some adult viewers claimed the character was too joyful–not to mention the rise of anti-Barney humor at one point.Lynnette Nicholas, Parents, 15 Jan. 2025
-
Yet, the best way to experience Maniscalco’s nostalgic, observational brand of humor is to check him out in concert.Jim Harrington, The Mercury News, 15 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
Close losses have been the bane of their season so far, but games like Wednesday’s can help with stacking wins and quelling trade chatter, even if for just another day.James Jackson, The Athletic, 2 Jan. 2025
-
Natural light plus background chatter plus the smell of coffee equals better stories for you.Jenna Thompson, Kansas City Star, 2 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
With time, their caustic raillery transforms into sincere attachment.Charlie Tyson, The Atlantic, 13 May 2021
-
French’s evocation of place, a rural way of life and overall creepiness are superb, as is the dialogue, a festival of Irish raillery and repartee.Washington Post, Washington Post, 14 Oct. 2020
Noun
-
The hat has a timeless knitted look on the outside, with ribbing, a fold-over cuff, and a pom pom on top.Clint Davis, Southern Living, 1 Jan. 2025
-
Silver Stands feels like stepping into the kitchen of a relative who's comfortable enough with you to give you a bit of a ribbing.Mackensy Lunsford, The Tennessean, 14 Nov. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near banter
Cite this Entry
“Banter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/banter. Accessed 20 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share