in-joke

noun

ˈin-ˌjōk How to pronounce in-joke (audio)
-ˈjōk
: a joke for or about a select group of people

Examples of in-joke in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
The Nineties were madly in love with Elvis, to the point where the Naked Gun movies could get laughs by casting 1960s Broadway star Robert Goulet as Priscilla Presley’s love interest — an in-joke for fans who knew that her husband hated Goulet and would shoot out TVs at the sight of his face. Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 19 Feb. 2026 An episode about a baseball-game rivalry between Ice Cove and its nemesis town that’s packed with Indigenous in-jokes suggests that North of North could have Parks and Recreation–style legs, too, if Netflix were to go ahead and renew it already. Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 1 Dec. 2025 These communities can develop strong emotional investment, sometimes bordering on obsession, and shape online culture through in-jokes and rapid-fire discourse. Lydia Patrick, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Nov. 2025 The façade, designed by Redding’s sister, May Redding, is a riot of textures, details, and in-jokes in the same Thai-meets-rococo style that makes Thai Diner feel so immersive and fun. Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 28 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for in-joke

Word History

First Known Use

1964, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of in-joke was in 1964

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Cite this Entry

“In-joke.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/in-joke. Accessed 25 Feb. 2026.

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