: characterized by insincerity, irony, or whimsical exaggeration
: with insincerity, irony, or whimsical exaggeration
Examples of tongue-in-cheek in a Sentence
Adverb
The whole interview was done tongue in cheek.
Recent Examples on the Web
Jessica Nicholson, Billboard, 26 Sep. 2025
The cocktail’s name is a tongue-in-cheek reference to a sketch from The Tim and Eric Awesome Show on Adult Swim.
—Heather Riske, Better Homes & Gardens, 23 Sep. 2025
Dan Gooding
hannah Parry, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 Sep. 2025
But others have been more tongue in cheek.
—Tanyel Mustafa, Refinery29, 28 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tongue-in-cheek
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.
Adjective
When Jessie Jo Dillon, Drew Parker and Zach Abend suggested a tongue-in-cheek song aimed at his online trolls, HARDY agreed.
—Jessica Nicholson, Billboard, 26 Sep. 2025
The cocktail’s name is a tongue-in-cheek reference to a sketch from The Tim and Eric Awesome Show on Adult Swim.
—Heather Riske, Better Homes & Gardens, 23 Sep. 2025
Adverb
The game has been viewed as a tongue in cheek critique of military dictatorships, with references to fascism and colonialism.
—Dan Gooding
hannah Parry, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 Sep. 2025
But others have been more tongue in cheek.
—Tanyel Mustafa, Refinery29, 28 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tongue-in-cheek
Cite this Entry
“Tongue-in-cheek.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tongue-in-cheek. Accessed 1 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share