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
Toby Mergler, New York Times, 13 Jan. 2026
Alana and Danielle rush towards the dresses and pose beside them, before kicking off the sisterly banter that is a constant throughout the fitting.
—Alexandra MacOn, Vogue, 1 Jan. 2026
Jaures Yip,kif Leswing,annie Palmer,jonathan Vanian, CNBC, 22 Nov. 2025
In one March 2019 exchange, the pair appeared to banter about a woman that Summers knew in London, with Epstein seeming to offer advice to the Harvard professor.
—November 18, CBS News, 18 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for banter
Noun
But there are real reasons to back the Bears beyond supporting Ben’s bad-boy banter.
—Toby Mergler, New York Times, 13 Jan. 2026
Alana and Danielle rush towards the dresses and pose beside them, before kicking off the sisterly banter that is a constant throughout the fitting.
—Alexandra MacOn, Vogue, 1 Jan. 2026
Verb
Davidson then casually banters back and forth with Alexa about his preferred nickname.
—Jaures Yip,kif Leswing,annie Palmer,jonathan Vanian, CNBC, 22 Nov. 2025
In one March 2019 exchange, the pair appeared to banter about a woman that Summers knew in London, with Epstein seeming to offer advice to the Harvard professor.
—November 18, CBS News, 18 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for banter
Recent Examples of Synonyms for banter
Noun
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But for too many of us, that proved an empty promise, the concept of work-life balance a cruel joke for women burned out from trying to take care of children and aging relatives, advance their careers (or even tread water in them), and meet other seemingly countless obligations.—
Phaedra Trethan,
USA Today,
29 Jan. 2026
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Verizon had no say over the fate of an actor who once played a fictional ad icon on its behalf, but consumers got the joke.—
Brian Steinberg,
Variety,
29 Jan. 2026
Noun
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That anything-for-a-laugh ethos is not a flaw in his canon but its animating principle.—
Seth Abramovitch,
HollywoodReporter,
30 Jan. 2026
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The pair shared warm cups of oatmeal in the car, staying warm and having a laugh together about the wild turn the weather had taken.—
Kendall Malinchock,
USA Today,
29 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The action flows, the badinage is fast and fun.—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
28 Aug. 2025
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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
Noun
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Brooks’s years honing his craft writing prickly characters and witty repartee ensures that not all of this scans as mindless escapism.—
Vikram Murthi,
IndieWire,
10 Dec. 2025
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The repartee arrived ahead of the reunion’s kiss-off date in Brazil this weekend.—
Kory Grow,
Rolling Stone,
20 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Language There’s some crude language, jesting, and mature comedic themes, but but nothing the modern tween or teen hasn’t seen or heard before.—
Lynnette Nicholas,
Parents,
8 Dec. 2025
Noun
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For his standup act, Bellamy blends conversational storytelling with observational humor, often drawing on his background in music and pop culture.—
Travis Pinson,
Dallas Morning News,
29 Jan. 2026
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Written, performed, and produced by Franklin, Be True uses emotional transparency and humor to narrate the process of unpacking grief, faith, self-reckoning, and renewal.—
Elizabeth Ayoola,
Essence,
29 Jan. 2026
Noun
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There was some chatter about Alshon’s over-poaching in the final, but sometimes a super-dominant male strategy works.—
Todd Boss,
Forbes.com,
26 Jan. 2026
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Still, his worst game of the year — a four-interception outing in a Week 10 loss to the Rams — again prompted chatter about his ability to perform in the biggest games.—
Peter Sblendorio,
Hartford Courant,
26 Jan. 2026
Noun
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With time, their caustic raillery transforms into sincere attachment.—
Charlie Tyson,
The Atlantic,
13 May 2021
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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
Cite this Entry
“Banter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/banter. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
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