1
as in parody
a work that imitates and exaggerates another work for comic effect
the movie is a rib of the "dramatic love story" that was so popular in the 1950s
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in joke
something said or done to cause laughter
began to lose his sense of humor after being the butt of his friends' ribs once too often
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of rib
Jakob Roze,
Health,
23 June 2026
Rodney’s method for smoking ribs in this book is worth the price of admission all by itself.
—
Alaina Chou,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
23 June 2026
ABC News,
13 June 2026
The left-hander has stuck with the Mavs, despite his buddies back home ribbing him about the Spurs and Victor Wembanyama.
—
Abbey Mastracco,
New York Daily News,
7 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for rib
Noun
Keep the movement coming from your ribs, rotating, not by yanking your neck.
—
Jakob Roze,
Health,
23 June 2026
Rodney’s method for smoking ribs in this book is worth the price of admission all by itself.
—
Alaina Chou,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
23 June 2026
Verb
Choose from waffle, ribbed terry, luxe styles and more for elevated relaxation.
—
ABC News,
13 June 2026
The left-hander has stuck with the Mavs, despite his buddies back home ribbing him about the Spurs and Victor Wembanyama.
—
Abbey Mastracco,
New York Daily News,
7 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for rib
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rib
Noun
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Their outmoded style, with its seriousness and corniness, its big acting choices and low budgets, is basically impossible to recreate without falling into parody.
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Frankie stars in the musical comedy, a parody of the 1997 blockbuster Titanic set to a score of songs by Céline Dion.
Noun
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New Delhi — What started as an online joke has now spilled onto the streets of India’s capital.
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Jan Paul van Hecke, a center-back who saw action on all parts of the pitch by both defending and scoring a goal, praised how the field held up — while also making a joke.
Verb
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Eric Schmidt, the former CEO of Google, took over as chief executive of Relativity a little more than a year ago, teasing new areas of focus such as orbital data centers, philanthropic space science ventures, and national security missions.
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The singer has been teasing the song on tour this summer.
Noun
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But given the current box office sensations of Obsession and Backrooms, Tiddes certainly wishes the timing had allowed for spoofs of those horror movies.
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Who series, but did play the Eleventh Doctor in The Curse of Fatal Death spoof, and in other special broadcasts.
Noun
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The fallout of that inquiry—to which Joe and Angela gamely acquiesce—generates its share of laughs, though our amusement comes at a cost.
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There are definitely laughs in Maddie’s Secret, but the point of the movie is almost to get beyond them, to the place where naive hokum could yield moments of inexplicable resonance.
Verb
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Just kidding, but seeing Angela’s team sweep Shamea’s at the Bailey Bowl basketball tournament was almost as satisfying as knowing Charles got to witness his former team’s historic win in person.
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Idaho law mandates that kids age 14 or younger wear a life jacket on the water, according to the city.
Noun
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Why does satire sometimes reveal truth more effectively than journalism?
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The Disney+ show about a struggling actor with actual superpowers who struggles to land a role in a superhero movie is as much of a Hollywood satire as a comic book adaptation.
Noun
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Oh, but the Padres manager was ready with the joking last night.
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Still, Yoon’s joking somehow lightens the mood.
Cite this Entry
“Rib.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rib. Accessed 27 Jun. 2026.
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