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

But there is a real tenderness that’s thrown into the mix with the lewd banter and glass-half-empty outlook. — Alison Herman, Variety, 7 Aug. 2026 Men are supposed to pay for dinner but also treat women as equals; to initiate flirty banter but never be creepy or aggressive; to be sturdy and masculine but also empathetic and thoughtful. — Faith Hill, The Atlantic, 3 Aug. 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

Now the adults are growing up a little bit, and that adds depth to the show but doesn’t sacrifice jokes.

— Emily Gould, Vulture, 24 Aug. 2026
His cutlery’s subtly unusual proportions manage to be elegant and playful at the same time, like that perfect joke that lands gracefully at a cocktail party, where everyone laughs and nobody chortles.

— Emily Watlington, ARTnews.com, 24 Aug. 2026

Definition of joke

Noun

Gone was the terror of wondering if the piece that was about to air was going to get big enough laughs from the live audience.

— Merrill Markoe, Deadline, 21 Aug. 2026
But that blend of raucous laughs (OK, well, some raucous laughs, some mere attempts at them) and real world concerns makes for an uneasy watch, ping-ponging between moods and tones in unpredictable ways.

— Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of laugh

Noun

Through rapid-fire verbal repartee, constant close-ups, and frantic cuts, Deramas treads a careful line between tragedy and comedy, the latter a psychological weapon against the former.

— Lé Baltar, IndieWire, 13 Aug. 2026
Faith King and Josiah Fagerstrom both deliver delightfully prickly repartee as their characters gradually manage to surpass archetype.

— Jared Kaufman, Twin Cities, 10 Aug. 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

But it was filled with quicksilver, roller-coaster displays of virtuosity and the sly humor Lutoslawski and fellow Polish composer and pianist Andrzej Panufnik brought to their Paganini variations in its original 1941 iteration.

— George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Aug. 2026
Follow rebellious 16-year-old Holden Caufield to New York City in Catcher in the Rye, in a tale that will evoke both humor and empathy from readers in equal measure.

— Caroline Rogers, Southern Living, 22 Aug. 2026

Definition of humor

Noun

That was Gardner’s first game with the Colts after being acquired from the New York Jets, and while Indy pulled out the OT victory, Gardner was still annoyed by some of the social media chatter afterward.

— James Boyd, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2026
For all the chatter about the Georgia wide receiver position this month, Kirby Smart notes that success for that group can’t be self-made.

— Connor Riley, AJC.com, 20 Aug. 2026