as in deriding
to make (someone or something) the object of unkind laughter
the term "big bang theory" was originally coined to ridicule the belief that the universe was created by a giant explosion
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in fooling
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of ridiculing
Dennis Harvey, Variety, 23 Dec. 2024
The post was met with accounts celebrating the withdrawal and ridiculing past decisions.
—Sara Dorn, Forbes, 11 Dec. 2024
But instead of reciprocating, Lila told him to get away from her and started ridiculing him.
—Krista Stevens, Longreads, 5 Dec. 2024
The Indian government has responded by denying the allegations and ridiculing Ottawa.
—Daniel Block, The Atlantic, 30 Nov. 2024
The crypto community is ridiculing filmmaker Cullen Hoback for producing a documentary criticized for its lack of factual accuracy and its heavy reliance on suspense over substance.
—Vinamrata Chaturvedi, Quartz, 9 Oct. 2024
Despite critics ridiculing the spending practices in some states -- leading to tense debates about learning loss -- education experts told ABC News the summer programming and high-impact tutoring proved to be vital in academic recovery.
—Arthur Jones Ii, ABC News, 30 Sep. 2024
Noun
At times, Phillips’ dialogue seems to be ridiculing his screenplay’s own improbability and sloppy logic gaps, as well as the genre itself.
—Dennis Harvey, Variety, 23 Dec. 2024
The post was met with accounts celebrating the withdrawal and ridiculing past decisions.
—Sara Dorn, Forbes, 11 Dec. 2024
But instead of reciprocating, Lila told him to get away from her and started ridiculing him.
—Krista Stevens, Longreads, 5 Dec. 2024
The Indian government has responded by denying the allegations and ridiculing Ottawa.
—Daniel Block, The Atlantic, 30 Nov. 2024
The crypto community is ridiculing filmmaker Cullen Hoback for producing a documentary criticized for its lack of factual accuracy and its heavy reliance on suspense over substance.
—Vinamrata Chaturvedi, Quartz, 9 Oct. 2024
Despite critics ridiculing the spending practices in some states -- leading to tense debates about learning loss -- education experts told ABC News the summer programming and high-impact tutoring proved to be vital in academic recovery.
—Arthur Jones Ii, ABC News, 30 Sep. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ridiculing
Verb
-
The key to his performance is empathy — Early resists mocking Maddie or her struggles at every turn.—
Jourdain Searles,
HollywoodReporter,
7 Sep. 2025
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This is all on top of the late-night TV and social media posts mocking him, countless Democrats campaigning against him, and endless news and opinion articles calling him everything from a felon to a rapist to a threat to democracy to Hitler.—
Matt Fleming,
Oc Register,
6 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
The intensity of Irish expressions of solidarity in 2024 caused one pro-Israel commentator, Ben Cohen, to coin the term Paddystinian as a derisive epithet to counter the narrative.—
Philip Metres
August 27,
Literary Hub,
27 Aug. 2025
-
Wall Street reacted to the delays with a derisive nickname TACO, for Trump Always Chickens Out.—
Bart Jansen,
USA Today,
11 July 2025
Noun
-
The program has sparked controversy and backlash from progressives on multiple occasions during its more than two-decade history on the air for its satirical representations of religious figures, extensive use of racist language and ribbing of climate change activists.—
Dominick Mastrangelo,
The Hill,
16 Aug. 2025
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Plus, the allover ribbing gives them a subtly textured look.—
Joana Ariza,
Glamour,
25 July 2025
Adjective
-
Vice President Vance appeared on FOX News Channel’s The Ingraham Angle hours after the heckling incident, telling the host about visiting with the national guardsmen and discussing recent changes to the city, while briefly mentioning the protesters.—
Jillian Frankel,
People.com,
21 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ridiculing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ridiculing. Accessed 12 Sep. 2025.
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