gags 1 of 2

plural of gag

gags

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of gag
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
as in chokes
to experience complete or partial blockage of the windpipe took a bite that was too large and began to gag

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

3

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 gags
Noun
The sequence has some clever gags, but you’re distracted by the awareness of being narratively underwhelmed. — Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 23 Oct. 2026 Those visual gags feel like an odd fit for the material; Ishiguro is known more for low-grade existential sadness than slapstick. — Natasha O'Neill, Vanity Fair, 22 Oct. 2026 On the occasion of this momentous anniversary, four Washington Post staffers gathered to discuss the abiding cultural significance — and iconic gags — of one of the greatest television comedies ever. — Maura Judkis, Washington Post, 7 Oct. 2026 Cox admits that leaning into horror gags proved to be a challenge, given the franchise’s family-friendly nature. — Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 18 Sep. 2026 Whips and gags were the order of the day; those moments would be intercut with live footage shot in Hollywood’s Cathouse. — Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 15 Sep. 2026 Tonal issues persist, with too many big, absurdist swings coming up empty (funerals, parties, tornados, oh no) and too few relatable or perceptive gags to balance them out. — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 9 Sep. 2026 Clever and snappy, fresh and silly, a winning combination of classic Looney Tunes gags and contemporary concerns (the press notes mention many influences including, no joke, The Insider). — Bethy Squires, Vulture, 28 Aug. 2026 But there’s more than gags here; the episode also delves into the gang’s unease with their changing lives, as well as the reservations everyone but Ted seems to have about his engagement to Stella (Sarah Chalke). — Erin Strecker, Entertainment Weekly, 22 Aug. 2026
Verb
There are 100 categories (seriously), the vast majority of them ridiculous bits, and even the semi-serious ones basically gags, too. — Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 17 June 2026 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
  • Hang on through an opening salvo of political jokes that elapsed time and Tuesday’s election results have rendered stale (Rudy Giuliani, anybody?
    — Yvonne Villarreal, Los Angeles Times, 6 Nov. 2026
  • Ruiz Caldera wanted Romero in the lead, although the comedian worried that viewers would expect jokes from a screenplay containing almost none.
    — Emiliano de Pablos, Variety, 5 Nov. 2026
Noun
  • Surely, Leslie Nielsen was serious about pulling pranks on the set of Airplane!
    — Kathleen Perricone, Entertainment Weekly, 14 Oct. 2026
  • The Muskego Police Department is warning Muskego High School students about consequences of pranks causing damage after the department received over 20 complaints in less than two weeks.
    — Alec Johnson, jsonline.com, 22 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • The climax of Lukas Moodysson’s A Hole in My Heart (2004), where Geko vomits into Tess’s open mouth?
    — Eugenie Brinkema, ARTnews.com, 17 Oct. 2026
  • Back at the Apollyon, Nas vomits the same black, viscous substance again.
    — Lexi Carson, HollywoodReporter, 25 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • As a result, Ukraine’s government faces a deepening cash crunch as the air war chokes its revenue from steel, agriculture and other key sources.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 3 Nov. 2026
  • One boy loops his arm around the student’s neck and chokes him.
    — Jennifer Smith Richards, ProPublica, 24 July 2026
Noun
  • Comedy has always been filled with outsiders and oddballs trying to make a living getting laughs.
    — Emma Specter, Vogue, 31 Oct. 2026
  • Got lots of laughs, and one boy actually preferred the packets.
    — Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 30 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • Kashpirovskiy performing tricks and hypnotizing a kolkhoz [Soviet cooperative farm] audience.
    — Will Tizard, Variety, 1 Nov. 2026
  • Keep potential thieves away with these easy-to-use safety tricks.
    — Jillian Dara, Travel + Leisure, 31 Oct. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Gags.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gags. Accessed 7 Nov. 2026.

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