1
as in parody
a work that imitates and exaggerates another work for comic effect
the movie is a rib of the "dramatic love story" that was so popular in the 1950s
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2
as in joke
something said or done to cause laughter
began to lose his sense of humor after being the butt of his friends' ribs once too often
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of rib
Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 18 Aug. 2025
During his long career, Rondell broke ribs, arms, wrists and vertebrae, detached his triceps, suffered concussions and had his hips replaced and his spine fused.
—Mike Barnes, HollywoodReporter, 16 Aug. 2025
Averi Baudler, People.com, 9 Aug. 2025
The winner of nine Tony Awards (nominated for 14) has been ribbing the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints — all in good fun, of course — for almost a decade and a half to audiences spanning the globe.
—Rick Mauch, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 9 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rib
Noun
Menu: Brisket, turkey, pork belly, pork ribs with South Asian inspired meats like their Laotian sausage and waterfall pork.
—Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 18 Aug. 2025
During his long career, Rondell broke ribs, arms, wrists and vertebrae, detached his triceps, suffered concussions and had his hips replaced and his spine fused.
—Mike Barnes, HollywoodReporter, 16 Aug. 2025
Verb
What’s more, the sweater’s ribbed cuffs and neckline offer a trendy twist on a typical crewneck, while its hip-skimming length can easily be styled tucked into or worn out of jeans, skirts, and dress pants.
—Averi Baudler, People.com, 9 Aug. 2025
The winner of nine Tony Awards (nominated for 14) has been ribbing the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints — all in good fun, of course — for almost a decade and a half to audiences spanning the globe.
—Rick Mauch, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 9 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rib
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rib
Noun
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The brothers are reuniting for the first time in 18 years to write an original script for the restart of the horror parody franchise, writing and producing the movie alongside Rick Alvarez.—
Katcy Stephan,
Variety,
15 Aug. 2025
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The back and forth began on Tuesday, Aug. 12, after the parody account shared a picture previously posted by Beckham Jr. on Instagram of him and his son, Zydn Beckham, sitting outside MetLife Stadium.—
Ingrid Vasquez,
People.com,
13 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Following Colbert’s ongoing jokes at the president’s expense, Trump has celebrated the talk show’s demise.—
Glenn Garner,
Deadline,
17 Aug. 2025
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Take the verdant Monsieur Chic from designer Brett Johnson’s debut trio of parfums, named after a running joke his late wife, Sarah, would deploy when he got dressed up for date nights.—
Justin Fenner,
Robb Report,
16 Aug. 2025
Verb
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And we have been teased and fooled before in the near-quarter century since that last crown in 2001.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
15 Aug. 2025
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The podcast is also what Swift used to announce her 12th studio album, after teasing details on social media and setting up a surprise countdown clock.—
Rachel Treisman,
NPR,
14 Aug. 2025
Noun
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The maneuver is a spoof on Hailey's viral phone case from her beauty line, rhode.—
Catherine Santino,
People.com,
18 Aug. 2025
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Liveness detection verifies that a biometric sample, such as a face scan or voice clip, is from a real person, not a spoof.—
Mohamed Lazzouni,
Forbes.com,
15 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Like, just write 100 tunes and record them all (laughs).—
Ed Masley,
USA Today,
14 Aug. 2025
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Adam Sandler is also still generating laughs with Happy Gilmore 2.—
Katie Campione,
Deadline,
12 Aug. 2025
Verb
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And the creators aren't kidding about the show's sci-fi elements.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
14 Aug. 2025
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There’s also never really a good explanation for why the population of campers has dwindled, beyond Charlie Brown telling Sally that kids her age just want to watch TV instead of heading outdoors for fun.—
Bill Goodykoontz,
AZCentral.com,
11 Aug. 2025
Noun
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But the satire doesn’t work, because the Republicans are afforded a nuance never given to Sophie and her idiot Democrat husband.—
CT Jones,
Rolling Stone,
11 Aug. 2025
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The action satire, which stars Liam Neeson and Pamela Anderson, picked up $8.3 million in its second weekend, bringing its North American haul to $33 million.—
Brent Lang,
Variety,
10 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Visitors can enjoy yak butter tea with Ladakhi herders, explore tribal villages in Assam, or hear honey-harvesting legends in the Sundarbans.—
Rumit Mehta,
Travel + Leisure,
8 July 2025
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There were also yaks, deer, buffalo, camels, a kangaroo, ostriches, eight monkeys, six raccoons, two grizzly bears, black bears, brown bears, seals, lions, an old tiger, a blind hyena, a circus elephant, an alligator and 400 birds, including a talking crow.—
Jeff Suess,
The Enquirer,
2 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Rib.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rib. Accessed 27 Aug. 2025.
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