as in kidding
marked by or expressive of mild or good-natured teasing
grinned and gave him a joking nudge with my elbow
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
as in jesting
Related Words
1
as in funning
to make jokes
he was known for his ability to joke about his lack of anything resembling a social life
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in teasing
to make fun of in a good-natured way
oh, don't get offended, I was just joking you
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of joking
Mario Cortegana, New York Times, 20 Mar. 2026
Lindsay says that Jesse was serious about asking, but that the make-out would be a joking make-out.
—Brian Moylan, Vulture, 4 Mar. 2026
The women’s team declined their joking invitation and had to explain comments directed at them.
—Dave Hyde, Sun Sentinel, 28 Feb. 2026
The tiny macaque, born on July 26, is often spotted clutching a plush toy from IKEA and has melted hearts across the internet, inspiring a wave of comments from fans half-joking about booking flights to Japan to check on him.
—Joshua Mellin, Travel + Leisure, 27 Feb. 2026
Harry Styles is ready to do some late-night joking.
—Brendan Morrow, USA Today, 23 Feb. 2026
Written in a joking and contemptuous tone, the tweet would take on an indescribably morbid weight just five days later, when, at the behest of Governor Cláudio Castro, the Rio de Janeiro police carried out the deadliest massacre in the country’s history.
—Evandro Cruz Silva, The Dial, 10 Feb. 2026
Cole follows up with a joking request to appear on an interlude on the forthcoming project, then asks whether West could send him a care package of clothes — which West agrees to — before exiting the stage.
—Jessica Lynch, Billboard, 28 Dec. 2025
Our poll’s options include a joking reference to Dan Marino.
—Greg Cote
december 20, Miami Herald, 20 Dec. 2025
Deirdre Bardolf, FOXNews.com, 29 Mar. 2026
Over the radio, Bing Crosby is crooning, Bob Hope is joking, and news of the war — against Hitler, against Japan — keeps sizzling and crackling across the dial.
—Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 26 Mar. 2026
Some of the people in line began joking around the effigy, which is as tall as the real Maduro.
—Michael Rios, CNN Money, 26 Mar. 2026
In the end, after joking around with them about not using his name and likeness, Inner Fire Yoga offered Doyle a handful of private lessons.
—Hope Karnopp, jsonline.com, 25 Mar. 2026
Larson first thought Bronin was joking.
—Mark Pazniokas, Hartford Courant, 23 Mar. 2026
But the Rockets don’t act like a fractured locker room, with players often joking around with each other.
—Varun Shankar, Houston Chronicle, 20 Mar. 2026
He's often seen joking with or getting tips from players such as Hacopian, the star second baseman who transferred in this offseason.
—Tony Catalina, Austin American Statesman, 20 Mar. 2026
By then, Krivas and Bradley, who have dealt with finger and wrist injuries this season, were joking at the end of the bench.
—Ryan Finley, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Mar. 2026
Noun
There was none of the usual laughing and joking.
—Mario Cortegana, New York Times, 20 Mar. 2026
Lindsay says that Jesse was serious about asking, but that the make-out would be a joking make-out.
—Brian Moylan, Vulture, 4 Mar. 2026
The women’s team declined their joking invitation and had to explain comments directed at them.
—Dave Hyde, Sun Sentinel, 28 Feb. 2026
The tiny macaque, born on July 26, is often spotted clutching a plush toy from IKEA and has melted hearts across the internet, inspiring a wave of comments from fans half-joking about booking flights to Japan to check on him.
—Joshua Mellin, Travel + Leisure, 27 Feb. 2026
Harry Styles is ready to do some late-night joking.
—Brendan Morrow, USA Today, 23 Feb. 2026
Written in a joking and contemptuous tone, the tweet would take on an indescribably morbid weight just five days later, when, at the behest of Governor Cláudio Castro, the Rio de Janeiro police carried out the deadliest massacre in the country’s history.
—Evandro Cruz Silva, The Dial, 10 Feb. 2026
Cole follows up with a joking request to appear on an interlude on the forthcoming project, then asks whether West could send him a care package of clothes — which West agrees to — before exiting the stage.
—Jessica Lynch, Billboard, 28 Dec. 2025
Our poll’s options include a joking reference to Dan Marino.
—Greg Cote
december 20, Miami Herald, 20 Dec. 2025
Verb
Comedian Charlie Berens also popularized the ritual, joking that it can be broken down into recognizable steps.
—Deirdre Bardolf, FOXNews.com, 29 Mar. 2026
Over the radio, Bing Crosby is crooning, Bob Hope is joking, and news of the war — against Hitler, against Japan — keeps sizzling and crackling across the dial.
—Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 26 Mar. 2026
Some of the people in line began joking around the effigy, which is as tall as the real Maduro.
—Michael Rios, CNN Money, 26 Mar. 2026
In the end, after joking around with them about not using his name and likeness, Inner Fire Yoga offered Doyle a handful of private lessons.
—Hope Karnopp, jsonline.com, 25 Mar. 2026
Larson first thought Bronin was joking.
—Mark Pazniokas, Hartford Courant, 23 Mar. 2026
But the Rockets don’t act like a fractured locker room, with players often joking around with each other.
—Varun Shankar, Houston Chronicle, 20 Mar. 2026
He's often seen joking with or getting tips from players such as Hacopian, the star second baseman who transferred in this offseason.
—Tony Catalina, Austin American Statesman, 20 Mar. 2026
By then, Krivas and Bradley, who have dealt with finger and wrist injuries this season, were joking at the end of the bench.
—Ryan Finley, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for joking
Noun
-
Any amount of singing or jesting will be heard by all.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
24 Mar. 2026
-
Language There’s some crude language, jesting, and mature comedic themes, but but nothing the modern tween or teen hasn’t seen or heard before.—
Lynnette Nicholas,
Parents,
8 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
DeVos wasn’t kidding, and on Monday, in front of close friends and family, current and former Magic executives and employees and local community leaders, a plaque was unveiled with Martins’ name on it at the Orlando Magic Hall of Fame that’s located in Kia Center on the terrace level.—
Jason Beede,
The Orlando Sentinel,
23 Mar. 2026
-
McKneely wasn’t kidding about the staples being removed.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
19 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks have been back on speaking terms for a few months thanks to the rerelease of their debut album, Buckingham Nicks, and now the diva himself is teasing that 2026 could serve as a reunion of sorts for the famously estranged exes.—
Devon Ivie,
Vulture,
27 Mar. 2026
-
There was no indication of the context of the posts, which racked up millions of views, with many online commenters theorizing the accounts could have been hacked or that an official was cryptically teasing something.—
Dylan Butts,
CNBC,
26 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
James then scrunched his face into a sarcastic, close-eyed smile.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
24 Mar. 2026
-
Brendon was a fan favorite among the cast for his loyalty to his friends and sarcastic sense of humor.—
Jack Dunn,
Variety,
21 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Anthony’s tolerance for nonsense is clear on Day One, when he high-fives Kevin for planning to propose to a co-worker in front of the entire staff.—
Inkoo Kang,
New Yorker,
27 Mar. 2026
-
That is when Harbaugh will be able to crystallize for players like Cam Skattebo that football is the priority, and any outside nonsense that distracts from the goal of winning games is not going to be tolerated anymore.—
Pat Leonard,
New York Daily News,
23 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
To get a sense of his whole deal, look no further than the half-mocking, half-earnest title of his latest album, Country!—
Jonathan Bernstein,
Rolling Stone,
23 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Right from his beginnings with the Talking Heads, Byrne’s quizzical temperament has fueled a determination both to never resist change and to remain open to all kinds of external stimuli.—
Chris Jones,
Chicago Tribune,
26 Mar. 2026
-
When the film won, many in the media room at BAFTA turned to each other with a quizzical look.—
Andreas Wiseman,
Deadline,
22 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Joking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/joking. Accessed 2 Apr. 2026.
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