gagged; gagging
1
a
: 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
gagger
noun
Synonyms
Verb
Noun
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.
Recent Examples on the Web
Choe Sang-Hun, New York Times, 7 Apr. 2024
Davenport agrees to give them four hours and shares a photo the kidnapper sent of a bound, gagged Derek.
—EW.com, 4 Mar. 2024
Green stood in a doorway while the man, who gagged and later vomited in a trash can, did so, the document says.
—Phil Helsel, NBC News, 14 Mar. 2024
The stress of making the decision and the game itself — plus the negative reactions from the rest of his group now forced to do the hardest shape — led Spencer to gag for what seemed like a very long time.
—EW.com, 22 Nov. 2023
Some residents recently complained that its odors are so pungent they have been made to gag or vomit.
—Tony Briscoe, Los Angeles Times, 10 Mar. 2024
Cardi continued her video by poured her lemon mixture into the open egg and took a sip of the broth, before immediately gagging.
—Charlotte Phillipp, Peoplemag, 8 Mar. 2024
Mooney’s body was found inside a refrigerator, with wrists and ankles bound and her mouth gagged, according to an autopsy report by the L.A. County medical examiner.
—Summer Lin, Los Angeles Times, 23 Feb. 2024
His son had a dog, a black Labrador mix, who developed respiratory symptoms, constant coughing that turned to choking and gagging.
—Detroit Free Press, 22 Feb. 2024
Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 10 Apr. 2024
This is a pretty small, narrow tongue scraper that will work well for small or sensitive mouths, as well as people who have a strong gag reflex.
—Daley Quinn, Verywell Health, 1 Apr. 2024
You could be forgiven for thinking Wendy’s latest promotion is an April Fool’s Day gag.
—Chris Morris, Fortune, 28 Mar. 2024
Behold, the birth of one of the show's greatest running gags: the Intervention banner, unfurled first to get Marshall to stop wearing a ridiculous hat, then subsequently trotted out for everything from Barney's magic tricks to Lily's fake English accent.
—Ew Staff Updated, EW.com, 18 Mar. 2024
Many of the gags are either derivative or homages, depending on your perspective, including the vicious killer bunnies that bring to mind Monty Python and the Holy Grail.
—Frank Scheck, The Hollywood Reporter, 6 Mar. 2024
Granted, the acknowledgement was a button on a running gag rebelling against the speech police.
—Carol McColgin, The Hollywood Reporter, 27 Mar. 2024
In a film propelled by high jinks, the gag that stays with us the longest is Jamie’s accent.
—New York Times, 26 Mar. 2024
For instance, the Bricklayers and Sheet Metal Workers allege their health insurer hid behind unlawful gag clauses to prevent the unions from accessing their own health plan claims.
—Kevin Lyons, Fortune, 19 Mar. 2024
Verb
His bodyguards gagged and removed an opposition lawmaker and a student who shouted criticism at Mr. Yoon during government and campus events.
—Choe Sang-Hun, New York Times, 7 Apr. 2024
Davenport agrees to give them four hours and shares a photo the kidnapper sent of a bound, gagged Derek.
—EW.com, 4 Mar. 2024
Green stood in a doorway while the man, who gagged and later vomited in a trash can, did so, the document says.
—Phil Helsel, NBC News, 14 Mar. 2024
The stress of making the decision and the game itself — plus the negative reactions from the rest of his group now forced to do the hardest shape — led Spencer to gag for what seemed like a very long time.
—EW.com, 22 Nov. 2023
Some residents recently complained that its odors are so pungent they have been made to gag or vomit.
—Tony Briscoe, Los Angeles Times, 10 Mar. 2024
Cardi continued her video by poured her lemon mixture into the open egg and took a sip of the broth, before immediately gagging.
—Charlotte Phillipp, Peoplemag, 8 Mar. 2024
Mooney’s body was found inside a refrigerator, with wrists and ankles bound and her mouth gagged, according to an autopsy report by the L.A. County medical examiner.
—Summer Lin, Los Angeles Times, 23 Feb. 2024
His son had a dog, a black Labrador mix, who developed respiratory symptoms, constant coughing that turned to choking and gagging.
—Detroit Free Press, 22 Feb. 2024
Noun
The sense of humor provides a welcome counterweight to the serious nature of the material, and also helps keep the fractured timeline clear, because the constant digressions and reversals are a running gag in and of themselves, worth paying attention to at all times.
—Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 10 Apr. 2024
This is a pretty small, narrow tongue scraper that will work well for small or sensitive mouths, as well as people who have a strong gag reflex.
—Daley Quinn, Verywell Health, 1 Apr. 2024
You could be forgiven for thinking Wendy’s latest promotion is an April Fool’s Day gag.
—Chris Morris, Fortune, 28 Mar. 2024
Behold, the birth of one of the show's greatest running gags: the Intervention banner, unfurled first to get Marshall to stop wearing a ridiculous hat, then subsequently trotted out for everything from Barney's magic tricks to Lily's fake English accent.
—Ew Staff Updated, EW.com, 18 Mar. 2024
Many of the gags are either derivative or homages, depending on your perspective, including the vicious killer bunnies that bring to mind Monty Python and the Holy Grail.
—Frank Scheck, The Hollywood Reporter, 6 Mar. 2024
Granted, the acknowledgement was a button on a running gag rebelling against the speech police.
—Carol McColgin, The Hollywood Reporter, 27 Mar. 2024
In a film propelled by high jinks, the gag that stays with us the longest is Jamie’s accent.
—New York Times, 26 Mar. 2024
For instance, the Bricklayers and Sheet Metal Workers allege their health insurer hid behind unlawful gag clauses to prevent the unions from accessing their own health plan claims.
—Kevin Lyons, Fortune, 19 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'gag.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Gag.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gag. Accessed 24 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
gag
1 of 2 verb
gagged; gagging
1
: to prevent from speaking or crying out by or as if by stopping up the mouth
2
a
: to vomit or cause to feel like vomiting
3
: to be unable to endure something : balk
4
: to tell jokes
gag
2 of 2 noun1
a
: something thrust into the mouth especially to prevent speech or outcry
b
: a check to free speech
2
: something said or done to cause laughter
3
: prank
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