as in joke
good-natured teasing or exchanging of clever remarks
members of the Algonquin Round Table were known for their brilliant and witty banter
Synonyms & Similar Words
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as in to joke
to make jokes
the teacher bantered pleasantly, albeit a bit awkwardly, with the students at the school dance
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of banter
Bill Desowitz, IndieWire, 26 Apr. 2025
Then Ted’s brother appears to him, reminding him that this is no time for fun banter when Pellegrini could be getting out of prison.
—Vlada Gelman, TVLine, 17 Apr. 2025
Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 13 Mar. 2025
Sandler screamed, and the pair bantered back and forth.
—David Oliver, USA TODAY, 3 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for banter
Noun
But thanks to some great improv banter at the end between Jack Black’s Steve, the master of Minecraft, and House’s never-say-die Malgosha, the villain goes out with a better finish than was written on the page.
—Bill Desowitz, IndieWire, 26 Apr. 2025
Then Ted’s brother appears to him, reminding him that this is no time for fun banter when Pellegrini could be getting out of prison.
—Vlada Gelman, TVLine, 17 Apr. 2025
Verb
The series is Henry and Moura, bantering and bickering and watching things spiral out of control.
—Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 13 Mar. 2025
Sandler screamed, and the pair bantered back and forth.
—David Oliver, USA TODAY, 3 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for banter
Recent Examples of Synonyms for banter
Noun
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Nikki Glaser applauds Joan’s candor about aging and plastic surgery, and Aubrey Plaza retires Joan’s not-so-politically-correct jokes.—
Erin Jensen,
USA Today,
14 May 2025
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Teasing out the joke, Pressley asked if former landscaper Wallen is good around the house fixing stuff.—
Gil Kaufman,
Billboard,
12 May 2025
Noun
-
Since Carter and Andersen could make each other laugh, that was enough.—
John Tamny,
Forbes.com,
13 May 2025
-
Photos were taken, laughs were shared and much of the cast gave each other warm embraces all evening.—
Brayden Garcia,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
13 May 2025
Noun
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Each bus has a pair of hosts, whose badinage is corny but crowd-pleasing.—
Patricia Marx,
New Yorker,
5 May 2025
-
In The Kitchen, Wesker tracked the decorum from friendly badinage to hostile vernacular that co-workers sustain just to get through the day.—
Armond White,
National Review,
30 Oct. 2024
Noun
-
Most voters are worried about high prices for food, energy and housing, rather than their leader’s Oval Office repartee.—
Alexander Smith,
NBC news,
30 Mar. 2025
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For all his entertaining repartee, Hedges is keenly aware of when to lock in.—
Ken Rosenthal,
The Athletic,
25 Feb. 2025
Noun
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But that’s exactly how modern protest sounds in Turkey, where humor and art are some of the only ways to cope with the socio-political environment.—
Eda Uysen,
Rolling Stone,
3 May 2025
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Don't be afraid to use drama, humor and the element of surprise to tell the stories that matter most to readers.—
Caren Bohan,
USA Today,
3 May 2025
Noun
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There has been a lot of chatter on the internet and social media in recent weeks that ALDI’s Summit Diet Cola is just as good, or even better, than the original.—
Jenna Sims,
Southern Living,
3 May 2025
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His dramas, rarely built on tightly interlocking shards of plot, are instead propelled by ambient forces: blasts of music, gusts of chatter.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
2 May 2025
Noun
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With time, their caustic raillery transforms into sincere attachment.—
Charlie Tyson,
The Atlantic,
13 May 2021
-
French’s evocation of place, a rural way of life and overall creepiness are superb, as is the dialogue, a festival of Irish raillery and repartee.—
Washington Post,
Washington Post,
14 Oct. 2020
Noun
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None of this will keep Republicans and conservatives from attacking the reconciliation bill with smoke, mirrors and persiflage.—
Michael Hiltzik,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Aug. 2022
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As Nixon’s political strategist, Kevin Phillips, told the New York Times in 1970: All the talk about Republicans making inroads into the Negro vote is persiflage.—
Jane Coaston,
Vox,
12 Oct. 2018
Cite this Entry
“Banter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/banter. Accessed 17 May. 2025.
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