Thesaurus results for BANTER

banter 1 of 2

noun

Definition of banter

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

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banter

2 of 2

verb

ˈban-tər

as in to joke

to make jokes the teacher bantered pleasantly, albeit a bit awkwardly, with the students at the school dance

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Example Sentences

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.

Recent Examples of banter

Noun

The chemistry between the two leads is astounding, with both men encouraged to improvise during filming to make their banter feel authentic. — K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 3 July 2026 Bird and Morgan also appear in the special, which uses light banter and commentary to help viewers understand the athletes’ impact and achievements. — Brian Steinberg, Variety, 2 July 2026

Verb

In turbulent times, there was something soothing about seeing Lineker back on a couch, beaming at us from ITV’s Brooklyn set, bantering with presenter Laura Woods and the panel (including former BBC pal Ian Wright) just like old times. — Greg O'Keeffe, New York Times, 21 June 2026 On the train ride, fans sang and chanted and bantered with one another. — Andrew Greif, NBC news, 20 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for banter

Recent Examples of Synonyms for banter

Noun

But Roth’s it’s-all-a-big-joke attitude here is a cop-out that’s beneath him, a way to avoid making a horror movie that truly engages us.

— Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 4 Aug. 2026
Write the honest sentence, take the quiet walk, and tell the truth without decorating it for comfort or turning it into a joke today.

— Tarot.com, The Orlando Sentinel, 3 Aug. 2026

Definition of joke

Noun

To be sure, Maher’s ready wit and spontaneous repartee as a talk show host were central themes for the parade of chums who praised the honoree.

— Paul Harris, Variety, 29 June 2026
The two-minute trailer includes a recreation of the famous sailor-kissing-a-nurse photo from V-J Day, a woman insulting David’s butter churning, some trench warfare repartee about the looks of a soldier’s love back at home, the Boston Tea Party, and jokes about child labor.

— Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 11 June 2026

Definition of repartee

Noun

Hudson showed some subtle support for the jesting knocks to her boyfriend by reposting a clip of his final joke shared on Fox News' official X page.

— Zoey Lyttle, PEOPLE, 18 May 2026
No matter what happened, Dunham could not seem to help posting through it, her public persona one of infinite jesting confession.

— Madeline Leung Coleman, Vulture, 14 Apr. 2026

Definition of jesting

Noun

Instead of dwelling on the crime, the owners decided to respond with humor, posting the video on Instagram with a mock 0-star review for the burglary crew.

— Charlie De Mar, CBS News, 1 Aug. 2026
There’s just some great drama, incredible special effects and even some nice humor.

— Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026

Definition of humor

Noun

When Zayn lost the WWE title to Punk less than two weeks after winning it, there was a lot of chatter that he had been shortchanged and would never get a crack at the WWE title again.

— Blake Oestriecher, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2026
Out on the field, chatter started from fans above the Tigers’ dugout.

— Cody Stavenhagen, New York Times, 2 Aug. 2026