1
as in joke
something said or done to cause laughter
the movie featured a gag involving a chicken driving a car that audiences thought was hysterically funny
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in prank
a playful or mischievous act intended as a joke
played a gag on their teammate by putting shaving cream in his hat
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
2
3
as in to joke
to make jokes
the actor typically mugs and gags through his movies, but in his latest vehicle he plays it straight
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 gag
Book Marks
october 2, Literary Hub, 2 Oct. 2025
The clip exploded online, racking up 17 million views on ESPN's YouTube channel, inspiring Halloween costumes, and landing Manning on late-night TV to relive the gag.
—Jp Mangalindan, Time, 30 Sep. 2025
Elena Santa Cruz, AZCentral.com, 19 Sep. 2025
No team can gag away games better than the Gaggers of the Goodtime III, the Bumblers of the Beachfront.
—Jason Lloyd, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for gag
Noun
There’s a high ratio of gags per page, which is nothing new for Pynchon.
—Book Marks
october 2, Literary Hub, 2 Oct. 2025
The clip exploded online, racking up 17 million views on ESPN's YouTube channel, inspiring Halloween costumes, and landing Manning on late-night TV to relive the gag.
—Jp Mangalindan, Time, 30 Sep. 2025
Verb
When Rochelle Luna, 18, arrived at the house hours later, Djerf bound, gagged and raped her before stabbing her and slitting her throat, court records said.
—Elena Santa Cruz, AZCentral.com, 19 Sep. 2025
No team can gag away games better than the Gaggers of the Goodtime III, the Bumblers of the Beachfront.
—Jason Lloyd, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for gag
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gag
Noun
-
According to The New York Times, Chappelle — who has been under fired for his transphobic jokes in the past — used his comedy set at the Riyadh Comedy Festival to speak about the lack of freedom of speech in the United States, especially in the wake of Charlie Kirk’s killing.—
Emily Zemler,
Rolling Stone,
3 Oct. 2025
-
People taking offense at jokes simply didn’t land as a news story anymore.—
David Weigel,
semafor.com,
3 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Her ascent in the digital content space started out with prank phone calls and comedy sketches inspired by her Southern Belle upbringing that drew over 3 million followers on TikTok.—
Etan Vlessing,
HollywoodReporter,
2 Oct. 2025
-
The show takes that fleeting prank and asks what happens when disguise isn’t a joke but a lifeline, when the mask becomes the only face the world will accept.—
JP Mangalindan,
Time,
30 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Rates of nausea and vomiting among those patients were 13% and 11% above placebo, respectively.—
Annika Kim Constantino,Bertha Coombs,
CNBC,
30 Sep. 2025
-
Scout stayed at the vet for observation, coughing and vomiting throughout the period, and had her vitals rechecked several hours later.—
Kelli Bender,
PEOPLE,
30 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Previous unbeatens Florida State and USC — favorites — choked on the road.—
Manny Navarro,
New York Times,
2 Oct. 2025
-
In the afterglow of her magnificent album, choke enough, and the birth of her first child, Marylou Mayniel decamps to the southwest of France.—
Anna Gaca,
Pitchfork,
1 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
In fact, the toddler's laugh can actually be heard on the record.—
Mark Gray,
PEOPLE,
5 Oct. 2025
-
Like most anthologies, horror or otherwise, they can be hit or miss, though just about every one of the individual segments in the franchise is good for a scare or at least a laugh.—
A.A. Dowd,
Vulture,
3 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The fast food giant announced the return of the classic Halloween item, which makes the perfect vessel for storing candy that is picked up while making the rounds of trick-or-treating.—
Melissa Locker,
Southern Living,
7 Oct. 2025
-
Basically, a kid goes out trick-or-treating on Halloween.—
Melissa Willets,
Parents,
7 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Only an Aries, like Lily, can take Barney’s jabs in a joking way.—
Lisa Stardust,
PEOPLE,
19 Sep. 2025
-
When Peanut pulled his second escape act, his owners knew where to look and handled Peanut's disappearance in a joking manner.—
Michael Nied,
People.com,
2 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Gag.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gag. Accessed 9 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share