as in prank
a playful or mischievous act intended as a joke
friends had left the risqué message on his voice mail as a practical joke
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Recent Examples of practical joke
His favorite thing to do was to pull practical jokes on our manager, Blake.
—
Michael Barnes, Austin American-Statesman, 19 July 2024
Baseball players are notorious for playing practical jokes on one another.
—Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2024
His latest film is a feature-length practical joke that centers around a false origin story for a 42-year-old song whose relevance only fades with each passing year.
—Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 26 Sep. 2024
Dogs shot for no reason (and then used as props for gruesome practical jokes by the EMTs).
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 29 Mar. 2024
See All Example Sentences for practical joke
Michael Barnes, Austin American-Statesman, 19 July 2024
Baseball players are notorious for playing practical jokes on one another.
—Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2024
His latest film is a feature-length practical joke that centers around a false origin story for a 42-year-old song whose relevance only fades with each passing year.
—Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 26 Sep. 2024
Dogs shot for no reason (and then used as props for gruesome practical jokes by the EMTs).
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 29 Mar. 2024
See All Example Sentences for practical joke
Recent Examples of Synonyms for practical joke
Noun
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Woman Catches What Neighbor's Kid Does On Doorbell Cam, Sends Mom A Text By Jack Beresford Senior Life and Trends Reporter Newsweek Is A Trust Project Member news article 0 A woman had an unexpected reaction after discovering that her daughter had played a prank on one of their neighbors.—
Ron Estes,
MSNBC Newsweek,
28 Mar. 2025
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Some may even find the prank funny, smiling and shaking their heads before moving on.—
Melissa Willets,
Parents,
25 Mar. 2025
Noun
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This chip also drives many of the phone's artificial intelligence features, and allows the Pixel 9a to take advantage of all the same AI camera tricks introduced on the Pixel 9 smartphones in 2024.—
Julian Chokkattu,
WIRED,
19 Mar. 2025
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This epic contest showcases talented children in various disciplines, from dance and singing to magic tricks.—
Ximena Nunez,
Miami Herald,
18 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Leonard Cohen, who spent several years in a monastery, spoke of how part of the benefit of the experience was in being denied even momentary escape from the other monks.—
Jaron Lanier,
The New Yorker,
22 Mar. 2025
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Now, five years after the declaration of a worldwide COVID-19 pandemic and three years past seeing how torturous a death the virus can bring, Shaver says the experience gave her a new perspective on life.—
Tammy Ljungblad,
Kansas City Star,
22 Mar. 2025
Noun
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The documentary charts the adventures of an artist collective in Rhode Island that found a hidden space inside the bowels of the Providence Place Mall in 2003.—
Sarah Shachat,
IndieWire,
23 Mar. 2025
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Explore the ruins of an 1829 sugar mill, or enjoy outdoor adventures along the Tammany Trace hiking/biking trail.—
Symiah Dorsey,
Southern Living,
23 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Practical joke.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/practical%20joke. Accessed 3 Apr. 2025.
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