wisecrack

1 of 2

noun

wise·​crack ˈwīz-ˌkrak How to pronounce wisecrack (audio)
: a clever or sarcastic remark

wisecrack

2 of 2

verb

wisecracked; wisecracking; wisecracks

intransitive verb

: to make a wisecrack
wisecracker noun

Examples of wisecrack in a Sentence

Noun Someone in the theater was making wisecracks during the entire movie. a whispered wisecrack doubled them over in laughter Verb wisecracked to hide his nervousness during the auditions
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Humor has always been the secret strength of the Avengers franchise, ever since Tony Stark's wisecracks in Iron Man segued into the enjoyable bickering that's now a Marvel trademark. Gwen Ihnat, EW.com, 28 Apr. 2023 With her thick Southern accent and even thicker head of highlights, this hairdresser covers up her sorrows with booze, wisecracks and a tough exterior. Courtney Howard, Variety, 20 Feb. 2024 On Wednesday's episode of the talent competition show, Vergara left the stage unexpectedly after fellow judge Mandel made yet another wisecrack about her newly single status. Lauren Huff, EW.com, 15 Sep. 2023 Chock-full of laugh-out-loud quips and wisecracks, Susan Sarandon, Christine Baranski and Cheryl Hines also join in on the fun in the boisterous 2017 sequel. Lydia Price, Peoplemag, 14 Dec. 2023 Cameron was like Steve Martin, making very subtle wisecracks. George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Dec. 2023 Some of them, like me, were journalists who had dutifully showed up to watch Tiffany Haddish trade wisecracks with digital ectoplasm. Justin Chang, Los Angeles Times, 22 Nov. 2023 While many of us who grew up laughing at Chandler Bing’s wisecracks in our living rooms are feeling only the vicarious loss, some of Perry’s friends and coworkers are taking to social media to commemorate Perry’s life. Emma Specter, Vogue, 15 Nov. 2023 The pair discuss land and private property, waxing philosophical and tossing in the occasional wisecrack. Teresa Nowakowski, Smithsonian Magazine, 20 Sep. 2023
Verb
Meanwhile, somewhere up in the stratosphere, a wisecracking council of zodiac figures — presided over by none other than Jane Fonda as Sagittarius, who's backed up by A-listers like Post Malone and Sofia Vergara — looks down in concern and bemusement. Tom Gliatto, Peoplemag, 16 Feb. 2024 Martin starred Lawrence as Martin Payne, a wisecracking radio disc jockey working in the city of Detroit. Jessica Wang, EW.com, 15 Jan. 2024 The young actors playing the estranged brothers (Justin Chien and Sam Song Li) caught up in international criminal activity are sweet and charming, but the real treat is Michelle Yeoh as their wisecracking mother. Kelly Lawler, USA TODAY, 9 Jan. 2024 Missing was any indication of how the wisecracking AI bot fits into the broader Musk portfolio of Tesla autonomous driving technology, humanoid Optimus robots, and Neuralink human-machine brain interfaces, raising questions about the seriousness, and significance, of xAI. David Meyer, Fortune, 20 Nov. 2023 As the wisecracking Chandler, Perry brought his signature sarcasm to a playful group of actors that quickly became one of TV’s most iconic ensemble casts. Nardine Saad, Los Angeles Times, 14 Nov. 2023 As the wisecracking Chandler Bing, Perry brought his signature sarcasm to a playful group that quickly became one of TV’s most iconic ensemble casts. Alexandra Del Rosario, Los Angeles Times, 30 Oct. 2023 At Andrés’s other restaurants, including the other Bazaars, his chatty, wisecracking voice is all over the menu. Helen Rosner, The New Yorker, 22 Oct. 2023 With wisecracking Rocket out of commission, the others get to step up their banter as the action zooms from one imaginative new environment to the next. Peter Debruge, Variety, 28 Apr. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'wisecrack.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1924, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1924, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of wisecrack was in 1924

Dictionary Entries Near wisecrack

Cite this Entry

“Wisecrack.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wisecrack. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

wisecrack

noun
wise·​crack
ˈwīz-ˌkrak
: a clever, smart, or joking remark
wisecrack verb
wisecracker noun

More from Merriam-Webster on wisecrack

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!