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
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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of gag
Todd Spangler, Variety, 8 Sep. 2025
The humor, much like its source material, tries to be as delightfully zany as possible, packed with slapstick gags for kids and sly meta jokes for parents.
—Travis Bean, Forbes.com, 6 Sep. 2025
Mia Thurow, jsonline.com, 20 Aug. 2025
Though Garrett may have been visibly gagged, Drag Race fans who are super in the know have been speculating about Ru’s not-so-secret sweatpants habit for years.
—James Factora, Them., 15 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for gag
Noun
Howard Stern gave fans a head fake early Monday morning with a gag that Andy Cohen had taken over his channel slot on SiriusXM.
—Todd Spangler, Variety, 8 Sep. 2025
The humor, much like its source material, tries to be as delightfully zany as possible, packed with slapstick gags for kids and sly meta jokes for parents.
—Travis Bean, Forbes.com, 6 Sep. 2025
Verb
To gag someone is to leave them without words, for better or for worse.
—Mia Thurow, jsonline.com, 20 Aug. 2025
Though Garrett may have been visibly gagged, Drag Race fans who are super in the know have been speculating about Ru’s not-so-secret sweatpants habit for years.
—James Factora, Them., 15 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for gag
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gag
Noun
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Though the movie is accessible to new fans, there are plenty of winks and nods for diehards who can understand what might seem, to the uninitiated, like cheesy moments—a cringeworthy English rap verse, a scene parodying the product placement in K-dramas—as self-aware jokes.—
Yvonne Kim,
The Atlantic,
12 Sep. 2025
-
That means having to cut jokes that don't fit his do-no-harm MO.—
Erin Jensen,
USA Today,
11 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Brown was charged with misdemeanor misusing 911 — a charge one expert said is typically brought against prank callers, not those in a mental crisis.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
12 Sep. 2025
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Still, Shannon promised, no pranks this time, because the movie at hand is too important.—
Mike Ryan,
IndieWire,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Daily beatings that left people in wheelchairs, with broken teeth, and vomiting blood.—
Dan Gooding,
MSNBC Newsweek,
9 Sep. 2025
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Then, early in the morning of February 18, Chernyak began having seizures and vomiting in his bunk bed.—
Isabelle Chapman,
CNN Money,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
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In the clip, the pair execute the moves to the song’s post-chorus, before a bonnet-wearing Colbert pretends to choke on something, causing Gaga to erupt in laughter.—
Stephen Daw,
Billboard,
10 Sep. 2025
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Luckily, the police department had recently brought in a CPR specialist who taught officers how to save choking children.—
Abigail Adams,
PEOPLE,
10 Sep. 2025
Noun
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What captured millions of TikTok users' hearts was the pure joy that can be heard in her son’s laughs as her husband shields him from the rain.—
Natalia Senanayake,
PEOPLE,
14 Sep. 2025
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The ratio of laughs to drama changes quite sharply, however, as Joan takes her hostages off on their journey, leading to a bond with Tyler and a lot of unexpected revelations about Joan’s background.—
Damon Wise,
Deadline,
13 Sep. 2025
Noun
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So the real trick was creating a hue with blendability that people were willing to reapply.—
Megan McIntyre,
Allure,
16 Sep. 2025
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The Luray Caverns feel almost magical—complete with musical instruments built into the walls, mirror-like lakes that play tricks on your eyes, and even a wishing well tucked into the underground pathways.—
Alexandra Emanuelli,
Southern Living,
16 Sep. 2025
Noun
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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
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Multiple outlets that examined the reporting identified the claim as unverified and labeled the story a hoax; Colbert had previously made a joking on-air reference to streaming platforms but had not announced any deal with Netflix.—
Megan Cartwright,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Gag.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gag. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
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