\ ˈgag 
\
\gagged; gagging
Definition of gag
(Entry 1 of 2)
1a : to restrict use of the mouth of by inserting something into it to prevent speech or outcry
b : to prevent from exercising freedom of speech or expression
trying to gag the press legally gagged from discussing the case
c : to pry or hold open with a gag
2 : to provide or write quips or pranks for
gag a show
3 : to choke or cause to retch
2 : to be unable to endure something : balk The boys gagged at all the kissing and goo-goo eyes.
3 : to make quips
gag
nounDefinition of gag (Entry 2 of 2)
Keep scrolling for more
Synonyms for gag
Synonyms: Verb
Synonyms: Noun
- boff
- (or boffo),
- boffola,
- crack,
- drollery,
- funny,
- giggle
- [chiefly British],
- jape,
- jest,
- joke,
- josh,
- laugh,
- nifty,
- one-liner,
- pleasantry,
- quip,
- rib,
- sally,
- waggery,
- wisecrack,
- witticism,
- yuk
- (or yuck also yak or yock)
- [slang]
Examples of gag in a Sentence
Verb
The government is trying to gag the press.
the terrible smell of rotting fish made me gag Noun
The movie relies on simpleminded gags for laughs.
They hid his clothes as a gag.
They tied up the hostages and put gags in their mouths.
The government is trying to put a gag on the press.
See More
Recent Examples on the Web: Verb Nasal swabs reduce the tendency of patients to cough, sneeze or gag during collection, potentially spreading the virus.
—
Julie Washington, cleveland, "Cleveland Clinic switches to nasal swabs for drive-through coronavirus testing," 29 Aug. 2020 In S8:E8, Newman was challenged to eat broccoli but quickly gagged and demanded a honey mustard chaser to neutralize the taste.
—
Bill Sullivan, The Conversation, "Science of ‘Seinfeld’," 5 June 2020 Stinging eyes and throats and the compulsion to gag and cough from pepper spray or tear gas will subside.
—
Terry Demio, Cincinnati.com, "What some black parents tell their children to keep them alive," 4 June 2020 Glatter said symptoms also may include burning in the throat, wheezing, dry cough, gagging and difficulty speaking.
—
USA Today, "Going to protest George Floyd's death? Here's how to protect yourself against tear gas, pepper spray," 2 June 2020 She had been bound and gagged and stripped naked except for her gray-blue stockings.
—
Jennifer Schuessler, New York Times, "Jill Lepore’s New Podcast Is a Murder Mystery: Who Killed Truth?," 13 May 2020 Kardashian West, 39, was alone in her No Address Hotel room during Paris Fashion week when multiple masked men broke in and bound, gagged and robbed the KUWTK star of millions of dollars worth of jewels.
—
Natalie Stone, PEOPLE.com, "Caitlyn Jenner Estimates Kylie Jenner Spends 'Between $300,000 and $400,000 a Month' on Security," 29 Nov. 2019 The increase in the partial pressure of the carbon dioxide was temporarily difficult to tolerate, leading to gagging and choking, but the submarine flooded quickly and the pressure was equalized.
—
Rachel Lance, Wired, "How to Escape From a Sunken Submarine," 7 Apr. 2020 Intubated patients often cough and gag during the high-risk procedure, propelling spit and other bodily fluids onto the faces of medical staffers.
—
Chauncey Alcorn, CNN, "3D printer companies step in to fill hospitals' desperate need for face shields," 6 Apr. 2020 Recent Examples on the Web: Noun Peter and Lois accidentally set up a cutaway gag together, which somehow transports them into the cutaway itself.
—
Nina Zafar, Washington Post, "What to watch this weekend: ‘The Trouble With Maggie Cole’ on PBS," 17 Oct. 2020 Among the most dramatic of those was when Judge Hoffman had marshals gag defendant Bobby Seale and handcuff him to his chair.
—
Rick Kogan, chicagotribune.com, "Column: Few complaints with the ‘Chicago 7’ movie, but it was all different when I was there," 16 Oct. 2020 Last summer, the Democrat majority in the House of Representatives passed a spending bill blocking the gag provision of the Title X rule and boost funding for the Title X program.
—
Tim Gruver, Washington Examiner, "State coalition calls on Supreme Court to review rule on abortion clinic federal funding," 9 Oct. 2020 Gross was born in the Bronx at the tail end of the nineteenth century, a time when gag strips spread like memes among the masses.
—
Françoise Mouly, The New Yorker, "Milt Gross: A Cartoonist’s Cartoonist," 8 Oct. 2020 The female Snow Owl explained her partner loves a gag.
—
Erin Jensen, USA TODAY, "'The Masked Singer' premiere recap: Dragon's fire is extinguished on the first episode," 24 Sep. 2020 The ranch hands get the comedy, but Costner is not really going to come close to doing a gag on camera.
—
Omar Sanchez, EW.com, "Who shot J.D. on Yellowstone? Writer behind Dallas cliffhanger 'Who shot J.R.?' weighs in," 14 Sep. 2020 For some, the mere suggestion of a PSL can trigger a gag reflex, recalling assorted jack-o’-lantern guttings of their youth.
—
Joseph Errico, Marie Claire, "Pumpkin Spice: The Ultimate Fall Palette," 5 Oct. 2020 The running gag — a surprisingly lame attempt at bothsiderism from a show that in its history savaged, for instance, Richard Nixon in a legendary sketch — seemed to be that Biden has some kind of anger-management problem.
—
Bill Goodykoontz, The Arizona Republic, "'SNL' had no idea how to handle Trump's COVID diagnosis. Jim Carrey's Biden didn't help," 4 Oct. 2020
See MoreThese example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'gag.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Keep scrolling for more
Keep scrolling for more
More Definitions for gag
gag
verbEnglish Language Learners Definition of gag
(Entry 1 of 2)
: to put something (such as a piece of cloth) into or over a person's mouth in order to prevent that person from speaking, calling for help, etc.
: to prevent (someone) from speaking freely or expressing opinions
: to vomit or feel as if you are about to vomit : to feel as if what is in your stomach is going to come up into your mouth
gag
nounEnglish Language Learners Definition of gag (Entry 2 of 2)
: something said or done to make people laugh
chiefly US : something done as a playful trick
: something (such as a piece of cloth) that is put into or over someone's mouth in order to prevent speech
See the full definition for gag in the English Language Learners Dictionary
gag
verb\ ˈgag \
\gagged; gagging
Kids Definition of gag
(Entry 1 of 2)
1 : to stop from speaking or crying out by or as if by covering or blocking the mouth
2 : to vomit or feel like vomiting
The horrible smell almost made me gag.
3 : choke sense 2 He gagged on his hot dog.
gag
nounKids Definition of gag (Entry 2 of 2)
1 : something covering or blocking the mouth especially to prevent speaking or crying out
2 : something said or done to make other people laugh
Keep scrolling for more
Comments on gag
What made you want to look up gag? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).
Test Your Vocabulary
Namesakes Word Quiz
- Which of the following is a fruit named after a Moroccan seaport?
Can you spell these 10 commonly misspelled words?
TAKE THE QUIZ
Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.
TAKE THE QUIZLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridgedWords at Play
Ask the Editors
Word Games
Share gag
Time Traveler for gag
The first known use of gag was in 1509
See more words from the same year