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
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Recent Examples of gag
Lynsey Eidell, People.com, 24 June 2025
In a slow-building gag, Alison eventually discovers that an un-neutered billy goat has been swinging his way through the herd, leaving Alison with a rash of unplanned goat pregnancies.
—Andrea Long Chu, Vulture, 16 June 2025
Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 3 June 2025
The other women collectively gag first at the mention of the Atlanta celebrity and again when Porsha tries to expose Drew for dating Black.
—Ile-Ife Okantah, Vulture, 2 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for gag
Noun
Richard drove Kara to his apartment, stopping along the way to restrain her with handcuffs and place a gag in her mouth.
—Lynsey Eidell, People.com, 24 June 2025
In a slow-building gag, Alison eventually discovers that an un-neutered billy goat has been swinging his way through the herd, leaving Alison with a rash of unplanned goat pregnancies.
—Andrea Long Chu, Vulture, 16 June 2025
Verb
Keep their bathroom trips outside short, and watch out for signs of distress such as red or watery eyes and nose, coughing or gagging and increased respiratory rate.
—Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 3 June 2025
The other women collectively gag first at the mention of the Atlanta celebrity and again when Porsha tries to expose Drew for dating Black.
—Ile-Ife Okantah, Vulture, 2 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for gag
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gag
Noun
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She was raised in a society—a West Indian society—that did not put much of a premium on women’s bodies, where any kind of intimacy was a joke.—
Hilton Als,
New Yorker,
30 June 2025
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And yet the world is too driven by algorithms, too fragmented in its tastes, to ever be on the same page again and get the same jokes.—
Christopher Borrelli,
Chicago Tribune,
30 June 2025
Noun
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Blending real tour footage, a faux biopic, a tongue-in-cheek jukebox musical and a museum filled with half-fake relics, the film is part tribute, part Gen X time capsule, part absurdist prank.—
Robert Lloyd,
Los Angeles Times,
27 June 2025
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Anna stages a prank that is just supposed to scare Willow, but the plan collides with the tragic events of Sept. 11, 2001, and ends with Willow’s disappearance.—
Lizz Schumer,
People.com,
24 June 2025
Verb
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On a transplant list, Kim Betts started vomiting and getting weaker.—
Brad Schmitt,
The Tennessean,
2 July 2025
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After eating a stew made from acacia nuts and prickly pear cactus, Will suffered terrible gastrointestinal stress, eventually vomiting blood.—
Frederick Dreier,
Outside Online,
27 June 2025
Verb
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For more than a minute, audio captures the sounds of a struggle: grunting, choking.—
Miguel Torres,
AZCentral.com,
3 July 2025
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As a result, millions more children and vulnerable people will be forced to choke on toxic fumes while manufacturing executives pour more money into dying steel plants.—
MSNBC Newsweek,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 July 2025
Noun
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Friday’s Resident Alien had it all: uproarious laughs, romance, heartbreak and a whole lot of vomit.—
Nick Caruso,
TVLine,
28 June 2025
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And in a company which faithfully recreates stiff 18th-century acting conventions, McCormack’s unapologetically sassy Semira was a welcome change of pace, drawing the afternoon’s biggest laughs.—
Hannah Edgar,
Chicago Tribune,
28 June 2025
Noun
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Did any of those tips and tricks come in handy here?—
Brian Davids,
HollywoodReporter,
5 July 2025
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Truth is, finding universal tips and tricks for keeping your cortisol levels stable first thing in the morning and when leaving the house is tough.—
Ana Morales,
Vogue,
5 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Gag.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gag. Accessed 14 Jul. 2025.
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