as in joking
marked by or expressive of mild or good-natured teasing
the lightly ribbing tone tipped me off that this wasn't a serious reprimand
Synonyms & Similar Words
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as in mocking
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in teasing
to make fun of in a good-natured way
ribbed him a bit about fumbling such an easy play
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of ribbing
Lisa Gutierrez, Kansas City Star, 26 Jan. 2025
The material is 70 percent cotton with cozy ribbing and a bit of stretch.
—Olivia Young, Travel + Leisure, 17 Jan. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for ribbing
Noun
The ribbing kicked off Saturday with this tweet on X — seen 11 million times as of Sunday morning — from Joshua Bessex, a photojournalist for The Buffalo News.
—Lisa Gutierrez, Kansas City Star, 26 Jan. 2025
The material is 70 percent cotton with cozy ribbing and a bit of stretch.
—Olivia Young, Travel + Leisure, 17 Jan. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for ribbing
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ribbing
Verb
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Seinfeld was clearly teasing, but sure enough, several headlines reported it as gospel with perhaps a mention three paragraphs in that it was intended to be humorous.—
Jenelle Riley,
Variety,
6 Jan. 2025
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Squid Game star Lee Jung-jae and creator Hwang Dong-hyuk are teasing the third and final season of the Netflix series.—
Armando Tinoco,
Deadline,
5 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Nile and Bernard seemed like best friends, always joking and very excited.—
David Browne,
Rolling Stone,
22 Dec. 2024
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Not just the kind of vaudevillian two guys joking around with each other on stage, but even just as individual comedians.—
Justin Koreis,
Rolling Stone,
21 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Always down to gossip and party, Redmond exudes Gemini's energy through his zesty and sarcastic attitude.—
Lisa Stardust,
People.com,
31 Mar. 2025
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This is not just a sarcastic take but a practical one.—
Jaron Lanier,
The New Yorker,
22 Mar. 2025
Noun
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That being said, the brainteaser—which often incorporates homophones and wordplay—can be difficult to crack.—
Faisal Kutty,
Newsweek,
12 Mar. 2025
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And the detailing from Mansory is as unsubtle as the wordplay.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
12 Mar. 2025
Noun
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The movie is a traditional Western right down to its narrative bones, but Kasdan and his actors infuse it with a raucous, even modern, sense of energy and humor.—
Sezin Devi Keohler,
EW.com,
29 Mar. 2025
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Social media users have responded with criticism and humor, questioning the aggressive fundraising tactics.—
Taylor Ardrey,
USA Today,
28 Mar. 2025
Noun
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The two men traded barbs for a few weeks afterward, but both appear to have moved on.—
Brian Mazique,
Forbes.com,
29 Mar. 2025
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Smith and James traded barbs in separate media appearances throughout the week.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
28 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ribbing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ribbing. Accessed 6 Apr. 2025.
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