1
as in jokes
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 pranks
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
as in vomits
to discharge the contents of the stomach through the mouth
the terrible smell of rotting fish made me gag
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
3
as in quips
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
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Recent Examples of gags
Selome Hailu, Variety, 13 Mar. 2026
Join the hilarious hunt this Halloween season, where the only thing sharper than Dracula’s fangs are the gags that’ll leave you in stitches.
—Cincinnati Enquirer, 7 Mar. 2026
Packed with gags, this is a fun way to spend an afternoon.
—K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 6 Mar. 2026
Rather than letting the gags flit by quickly, the cast pauses endlessly after each utterance to milk the laughs.
—Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 27 Feb. 2026
The director cleverly dishes out these double meanings from start to finish, fusing the parental experience with tons of gore, hysteria, visual gags and occasional jump scares.
—Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 14 Feb. 2026
Running gags include Moses’ age, certain players’ penchant for forgetfulness and star receiver Stefon Diggs’ proclivity for procreation.
—Michael Silver, New York Times, 5 Feb. 2026
One is an exercise that only Sam Raimi could do; the other manages to do an absurd amount of gags despite being burdened with the weight of being a real movie.
—James Grebey, Vulture, 31 Jan. 2026
These performances, which include plenty of great one-liners and physical gags but also unearth subtler shades of frustration and self-doubt, are some of my favorites of hers.
—Judy Berman, Time, 30 Jan. 2026
Kevin Dolak, HollywoodReporter, 13 Jan. 2026
Some gags land, others don’t, and the script’s sudden bursts of melancholy dependably catch you in the gut.
—Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 9 Sep. 2025
Noun
The crowd was raucous with laughter throughout all of the film’s witty dialogue and visual gags, and cheered as the characters realized their goals on screen.
—Selome Hailu, Variety, 13 Mar. 2026
Join the hilarious hunt this Halloween season, where the only thing sharper than Dracula’s fangs are the gags that’ll leave you in stitches.
—Cincinnati Enquirer, 7 Mar. 2026
Packed with gags, this is a fun way to spend an afternoon.
—K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 6 Mar. 2026
Rather than letting the gags flit by quickly, the cast pauses endlessly after each utterance to milk the laughs.
—Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 27 Feb. 2026
The director cleverly dishes out these double meanings from start to finish, fusing the parental experience with tons of gore, hysteria, visual gags and occasional jump scares.
—Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 14 Feb. 2026
Running gags include Moses’ age, certain players’ penchant for forgetfulness and star receiver Stefon Diggs’ proclivity for procreation.
—Michael Silver, New York Times, 5 Feb. 2026
One is an exercise that only Sam Raimi could do; the other manages to do an absurd amount of gags despite being burdened with the weight of being a real movie.
—James Grebey, Vulture, 31 Jan. 2026
These performances, which include plenty of great one-liners and physical gags but also unearth subtler shades of frustration and self-doubt, are some of my favorites of hers.
—Judy Berman, Time, 30 Jan. 2026
Verb
Speaking with Stern on post-Globes Monday for an episode that aired Tuesday, Glaser shared why gags about the current political climate were absent from the show.
—Kevin Dolak, HollywoodReporter, 13 Jan. 2026
Some gags land, others don’t, and the script’s sudden bursts of melancholy dependably catch you in the gut.
—Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 9 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gags
Noun
-
Colbert did read out several jokes that have been cut during his time on the show, crediting his writing staff for their quips.—
Emily Zemler,
Rolling Stone,
9 Mar. 2026
-
Over the years, more than 11,000 inscriptions have been found across the city, ranging from political commentary and love declarations to sporting slogans, jokes, and poems.—
Ryan Brennan,
Charlotte Observer,
9 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The day before Hughes’ death, the Hall County school system posted a message urging students to refrain from any prom-season pranks resulting in property damage or destruction.—
Charlotte Kramon,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Mar. 2026
-
In the novel, Amanda and Oliver attempt to get Eloise to leave by way of some nasty pranks, but Book Eloise remains undeterred and, in fact, loves the challenge of trying to both one-up and win over the twins.—
Maggie Fremont,
Vulture,
4 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Absinthe-eyed, she projectile-vomits blunt observations and also oysters onto the heavies, overimbibing her way into her own grave once she’s inevitably discarded with a shot and shove down a stairwell (a barely-there John Magaro plays one of the gangsters).—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
4 Mar. 2026
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There’s a scene in which Frank meets his own idol, an alt-world version of Fred Astaire (played by Gyllenhaal’s brother Jake, who is good at mugging and singing), and vomits his fandom at him until the actor recoils.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
4 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Like other invasive plants, stinknet chokes native plants and increases fire risk.—
Shi En Kim,
AZCentral.com,
13 Mar. 2026
-
With fuel and freight prices skyrocketing as war chokes the Strait of Hormuz, the Panama Canal is seeing more business than usual.—
Elizabeth González,
CNN Money,
12 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Without missing a beat, Wintour moved straight past the question and began introducing the nominees, a response that drew laughs from the audience and echoed the famously blunt demeanor associated with the fictional fashion editor Miranda Priestly.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
15 Mar. 2026
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And yes, because we are blessed with famous weather, whole neighborhoods and districts can risk spilling out into the sidewalks, where laughs get louder, music gets blasted and the street fashion becomes a runway.—
Elisa Wouk Almino
Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
13 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Other royals allegedly have their own tricks—like Princess Kate, who’s said to use a clutch bag to avoid endless handshakes.—
Bailey Bujnosek,
InStyle,
10 Mar. 2026
-
One of my best tricks of the trade?—
Shea Simmons,
Southern Living,
9 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Gags.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gags. Accessed 16 Mar. 2026.
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