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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of banter
Matthew Adams,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
17 June 2026
The banter between Hugh and Diana was clear and crisp, easy to hear through during fights when both the sounds of combat and the game's bloopy electronic soundtrack.
—
Will Greenwald,
PC Magazine,
14 June 2026
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
13 June 2026
Family picnics ended in drownings; tender, bantering dates at Applebee’s concluded with car accidents.
—
Literary Hub,
10 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for banter
Noun
The mood was jovial, and any banter between the English and Croatian partisans was playful.
—
Matthew Adams,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
17 June 2026
The banter between Hugh and Diana was clear and crisp, easy to hear through during fights when both the sounds of combat and the game's bloopy electronic soundtrack.
—
Will Greenwald,
PC Magazine,
14 June 2026
Verb
All the usual fun Indy stuff is here – Nazis, treasured artifacts – though the bantering chemistry between Ford's hard-luck hero and Sean Connery as his grumpy dad is off-the-hook spectacular.
—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
13 June 2026
Family picnics ended in drownings; tender, bantering dates at Applebee’s concluded with car accidents.
—
Literary Hub,
10 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for banter
Recent Examples of Synonyms for banter
Noun
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As the escape-room activity kicks off — the guests have 30 minutes to find Aesha’s crew — the boys find plenty of opportunity to make insinuating jokes about tying up the girls, some (Coop) more wholesome than others (Luke).
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And as a distant relative jokes, many can be found on mortgages, loans and other debts.
Noun
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Steele’s portrayal of imperious, glamorous Tanya provides some of the show’s biggest laughs.
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What makes this such an exhilarating watch is how the performers navigate every passive-aggressive aside, every catty comment, every choice bit of annoying behavior played for laughs, pathos, or both at once.
Noun
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Left on their own, boisterous badinage between old school British thespian Shaw and giggly, hyper-ventilating wannabe movie star Dreyfuss has taken hold.
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The action flows, the badinage is fast and fun.
Noun
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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.
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That’s welcome repartee at any age, much less at Fangio’s 67.
Noun
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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.
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No matter what happened, Dunham could not seem to help posting through it, her public persona one of infinite jesting confession.
Noun
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Things seem to be going well; Lord Walder accepts Robb’s apology with cantankerous humor, and offers the Starks his full hospitality for the duration of the wedding.
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Framed as a feel-good drama with heart and humor, the series pairs a distinctly offbeat legal premise with a heavyweight creative package led by Weaving.
Noun
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In the last year or two, there was chatter and debate whether Messi would actually be selected to join the national team again.
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If circumstances had gone Spain’s way with more clinical finishing or a Cape Verde defender making a mistake, then the result would have been different and a lot of the chatter currently happening (including here) would likely not be happening.
Noun
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A little playful ribbing may be fair game among rivals, but piling on rarely helps in the immediate aftermath.
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The conversation had the recognizable rhythm of sports fans’ mixture of banter and good-natured ribbing.
Cite this Entry
“Banter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/banter. Accessed 2 Jul. 2026.
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