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
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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
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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
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Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of gag
Bethy Squires, Vulture, 9 Jan. 2026
Hoping that Paul Rudd never stops pranking Conan O’Brienwith this long-running gag.
—Rebecca Morin, USA Today, 30 Dec. 2025
Amanda Lee Myers, USA Today, 10 Dec. 2025
Since the very first moment that Natasha Rothwell gagged us all on Insecure, real ones have known that she was meant to headline a punchy comedy.
—Ew Staff, Entertainment Weekly, 3 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for gag
Noun
Finally, Jimmy Kimmel was joined by Ben Affleck as his first guest, crowning Kimmel as Thee Hollywood Insider — with running gags between him and Affleck/Matt Damon, and with similar experiences to Affleck at the Critics Choice Awards.
—Bethy Squires, Vulture, 9 Jan. 2026
Hoping that Paul Rudd never stops pranking Conan O’Brienwith this long-running gag.
—Rebecca Morin, USA Today, 30 Dec. 2025
Verb
Tressa Lynn Pettibone, 33, had been beaten, tied up, gagged and fatally stabbed twice in the neck and once in the side.
—Amanda Lee Myers, USA Today, 10 Dec. 2025
Since the very first moment that Natasha Rothwell gagged us all on Insecure, real ones have known that she was meant to headline a punchy comedy.
—Ew Staff, Entertainment Weekly, 3 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for gag
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gag
Noun
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Talk about the weather, add some jokes in there about some of the guys on the team and just stuff like that.—
Kyle Feldscher,
CNN Money,
5 Feb. 2026
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The event, held at the Montana Hotel in Pétion-Ville, was the butt of jokes on social media amid questions over the group’s authority to act.—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
5 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Warren got his start on YouTube but later shifted to TikTok, gaining millions of followers for his popular prank videos, per USA TODAY.—
Haadiza Ogwude,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
1 Feb. 2026
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Someone who has the power to play a prank on you.—
Stephania Taladrid,
New Yorker,
1 Feb. 2026
Verb
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There was also a moment where her character vomits all over Bradley's face while dragging him from the water.—
Nick Romano,
Entertainment Weekly,
29 Jan. 2026
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Legend has it that Jerry Rice’s weight routine was so intense that other players couldn’t make it through without vomiting.—
Shani Harmon,
Forbes.com,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Kenya choked under the dictatorship of Daniel arap Moi, who ruled from 1978 to 2002.—
Binaifer Nowrojee,
Time,
30 Jan. 2026
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Just weeks after heroically saving a neighbor’s choking 1-year-old girl, an NYPD officer was at it again, saving the life of a 2-year-old boy who had stopped breathing in his Bronx home.—
Barry Williams,
New York Daily News,
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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So much grunt routes through a trick all-wheel-drive system that actually uses a two-speed gearbox ahead of the engine between the front wheels, in addition to a more traditional eight-speed dual-clutch transaxle routing power to the rears.—
Michael Teo Van Runkle,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
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Our mother figures and friends can serve as the best sources of inspiration for beauty tips and tricks, thanks to many years of trial and error.—
Kaitlyn Yarborough,
Southern Living,
29 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Cole follows up with a joking request to appear on an interlude on the forthcoming project, then asks whether West could send him a care package of clothes — which West agrees to — before exiting the stage.—
Jessica Lynch,
Billboard,
28 Dec. 2025
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Our poll’s options include a joking reference to Dan Marino.—
Greg Cote
December 20,
Miami Herald,
20 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Gag.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gag. Accessed 7 Feb. 2026.
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