How to Use tongue-in-cheek in a Sentence

tongue-in-cheek

1 of 2 adjective

• That might have been tongue-in-cheek.
  — Louisa Thomas, New Yorker, 27 June 2026
• That’s a tongue-in-cheek question.
  — Patrick Saunders, Denver Post, 12 Apr. 2026
• That was smarmily tongue-in-cheek.
  — Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2025
• There was a kind of tongue-in-cheek aspect to it.
  — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 10 June 2026
• There was a kind of tongue-in-cheek aspect to it.
  — Victoria Edel, PEOPLE, 16 June 2026
• But also, there’s so much tongue-in-cheek to it.
  — Chris Willman, Variety, 21 Oct. 2025
• His tongue-in-cheek writing style makes this short piece a fun read.
  — Sigal Samuel, Vox, 8 Sep. 2024
• Add some edge to your office wardrobe with this tongue-in-cheek footwear.
  — Jake Henry Smith, Glamour, 4 Dec. 2024
• Karol has shared a tongue-in-cheek music video to go along with the track.
  — Maya Georgi, Rolling Stone, 22 May 2025
• Strauss’ self-portrait is on one level tongue-in-cheek.
  — Mark Swed, Los Angeles Times, 3 June 2026
• Fans were quick to weigh in on the tongue-in-cheek fashion statement.
  — Marina Watts, People.com, 20 Oct. 2024
• Such a proclamation was more than just a tongue-in-cheek play on words.
  — Keith Murphy, VIBE.com, 12 Dec. 2025
• The looks are tongue-in-cheek, and yet their contexts are most sincere.
  — Essence, 16 June 2025
• The scene in a diner at the end has a tasty tongue-in-cheek fatalism.
  — Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 1 Sep. 2024
• The tongue-in-cheek wit of the franchise at its best is largely absent.
  — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 14 May 2025
• The tongue-in-cheek rapper got his start during his time as a student there.
  — Hannah Kirby, Journal Sentinel, 24 Oct. 2024
• There’s some tongue-in-cheek in there, but also some serious themes.
  — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 22 Sep. 2025
• That is kind of a tongue-in-cheek witticism amongst those who do this for a living.
  — Lance Eliot, Forbes, 18 Dec. 2024
• The tongue-in-cheek parody of the genre's tropes still managed to pack a scary punch.
  — James Mercadante, EW.com, 22 Oct. 2024
• The band dropped a short, tongue-in-cheek video Monday morning to set the stage.
  — Lawrence Specker | , al, 20 Mar. 2023
• The sentiment is tongue-in-cheek, but the feeling behind it is not.
  — Martine Thompson, Los Angeles Times, 18 Jan. 2026
• The producers hide tongue-in-cheek details in the rooms each season.
  — Emily Zemler, Los Angeles Times, 9 June 2025
• It was designed as a tongue-in-cheek meta-classroom for crypto concepts.
  — Jeff Wilser, WIRED, 1 Aug. 2024
• These tongue-in-cheek observations suggest that the vibes are off.
  — Leah Asmelash, CNN Money, 4 May 2025
• Come for Oldman, stay for the rest of the charming cast and the tongue-in-cheek humor.
  — Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 14 June 2025
• Williams seemed to be speaking tongue-in-cheek, but Valkyries fans certainly did not see it that way.
  — Nathan Canilao, Mercury News, 20 June 2026
• Booker had a little tongue-in-cheek fun with it after Sunday’s game.
  — Duane Rankin, The Arizona Republic, 27 Feb. 2023
• The letter includes a number of tongue-in-cheek remarks throughout the page.
  — Cami Mondeaux, Washington Examiner, 12 July 2023
• The Oscar winner also spoke of Viard’s tongue-in-cheek style.
  — Thomas Adamson, ajc, 7 Mar. 2023
• The tongue-in-cheek post may be a reference to the fact that the game does not appear to be very popular.
  — Sherisse Pham, NPR, 11 June 2025

tongue in cheek

2 of 2 adverb

• The whole interview was done tongue in cheek.
• But others have been more tongue in cheek.
  — Tanyel Mustafa, Refinery29, 28 Aug. 2025
• And so, there’s a lot of things very much so on this record that are tongue in cheek.
  — Starr Bowenbank, Billboard, 3 June 2022
• His venting may have been a bit tongue in cheek, but with blink many things are tongue in cheek.
  — George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 June 2023
• Some of the decor is a bit over the top and tongue in cheek, even veering into kitsch.
  — Maggie Gillette, Better Homes & Gardens, 23 Jan. 2024
• The name of his place is tongue in cheek, says owner Frank Linn.
  — Washington Post, 24 Aug. 2021
• Gag gifts can be a little tongue in cheek too, like this crafty converter.
  — Mark Stock, Men's Health, 16 Nov. 2022
• Some writing above’s tongue in cheek; Some will only get laughs from the woke.
  — Washington Post, 31 Mar. 2022
• The work is light and dark, solid and liquid, empty and busy, earnest and tongue in cheek.
  — Zachary Fine, New Yorker, 23 Feb. 2026
• Swift was shown spoon-feeding him, tongue in cheek, like a fussy baby in a restaurant.
  — Lisa Gutierrez, Kansas City Star, 20 June 2026
• And so everything about the book was meant to be also a little tongue in cheek.
  — Caroline Reilly, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026
• The two-hour-plus show was an early celebration for the sextet, with not a small amount of tongue in cheek.
  — Gary Graff, Billboard, 29 Oct. 2021
• Boyfriend combines high-speed rap screeds with tongue in cheek burlesque dancing to achieve one of the most unique vibes in the music biz.
  — Doug MacCash, NOLA.com, 5 May 2018
• Listening to this album, there are these super-earnest moments backed up against some songs that are more tongue in cheek.
  — Vulture, 14 Oct. 2022
• Hill, maybe speaking tongue in cheek, had a different story on Thursday.
  — David Furones, Sun Sentinel, 13 Oct. 2022
• Here’s a look at why each horse can and can’t win the Preakness — many serious, a few tongue in cheek and one destined to be right.
  — Jason Frakes, The Courier-Journal, 17 May 2023
• Here’s a look at why each horse can and can’t win the Preakness – many serious, a few tongue in cheek and one destined to be wrong.
  — Jason Frakes, The Courier-Journal, 12 May 2021
• It’s being conceived as a PG-13 with tongue in cheek, per the movie’s meta title.
  — Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 13 Feb. 2026
• The cast is diverse, and the story — while very much tongue in cheek — demonstrates how arts camps can be safe, welcoming spaces for kids.
  — Common Sense Media, Washington Post, 21 July 2023
• The name is intended to be tongue in cheek and slightly subvert expectations.
  — Brianna Wellen, Chicago Reader, 21 Mar. 2018
• With tongue in cheek, Boudreaux began calling herself the Admiral of the house float fleet.
  — Doug MacCash, NOLA.com, 1 Feb. 2021
• Watters often plays his role as provocateur with tongue in cheek and is prone to making outrageous statements.
  — Stephen Battaglio, Los Angeles Times, 26 June 2023
• Perhaps because of his babyface personality, his tone in the video came across as more tongue in cheek than piledriver.
  — Hank Tucker, Forbes, 15 June 2021
• Turbojugend, for example, have rules, many rules, most of which are tongue in cheek, and many of which concern the Kutte.
  — Nancy Baym, WIRED, 10 July 2018
• In fairness, some of it was tongue in cheek, but there was definitely an element of seriousness to it.
  — Mike Freeman, USA TODAY, 5 Feb. 2024
• Shanahan, tongue in cheek, suggested the 49ers would never be involved in stealing signs.
  — Jerry McDonald, Mercury News, 26 Sep. 2025
• The host’s jabs, though often bawdy, were usually delivered with enough tongue in cheek to keep high-profile guests comfortable.
  — Marc Fisher, Washington Post, 27 Dec. 2019
• That is the second piece of tongue in cheek criticism emanating from the country’s largest cinema chain inside a week.
  — Patrick Frater, Variety, 28 July 2022
• But Booker’s statements, which has since gone viral on social media, were decidedly tongue in cheek.
  — Leada Gore | [email protected], al, 11 Aug. 2021
• And while the Zena protective vests are made for the field, Welter offered another tongue in cheek suggestion.
  — Jane Hanson, Forbes, 25 Jan. 2023