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
PC Magazine, 24 Oct. 2025
Mel Brooks’ best comedy shares many similarities with his other revered films – a strong grip of genre beats, a non-stop barrage of gags yanking us forward, and an eagerness to give every performer a chance to comedically shine.
—Rory Doherty, Vulture, 20 Oct. 2025
One of the running gags of the Space Race was the unappetizing nature of the food astronauts packed for their trip to the Moon.
—David Szondy
october 19, New Atlas, 19 Oct. 2025
Pointed gestures toward the lingering tension between Japan and Korea — and between those two countries and the rest of the planet — are drowned out by tiresome bickering and exaggerated gags, like a meaningful conversation swallowed into the sound of an airplane engine screaming overhead.
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 15 Oct. 2025
Anderson’s synthesis of all of these themes, motifs, and silly gags into One Battle After Another, which saw Anderson’s biggest movie opening ever last month, shows how Pynchon’s ideas have not only aged well but are more visible and relevant.
—Kevin Dolak, HollywoodReporter, 6 Oct. 2025
My focus was always trying to bring the kind of complexities of the kink world to the screen…trying to find the warmth in that community rather than be like Prince Albert, whips, chains, and gags.
—Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 4 Oct. 2025
There’s a high ratio of gags per page, which is nothing new for Pynchon.
—Book Marks
october 2, Literary Hub, 2 Oct. 2025
Compared to the intro to Borderlands 3, with its never-ending stream of disembodied limbs, gore, and poop gags, the intro to Borderlands 2 feels restrained.
—G Kirilloff, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2025
Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 9 Sep. 2025
Noun
Great practical effects and some very funny gags make this worth a watch.
—PC Magazine, 24 Oct. 2025
Mel Brooks’ best comedy shares many similarities with his other revered films – a strong grip of genre beats, a non-stop barrage of gags yanking us forward, and an eagerness to give every performer a chance to comedically shine.
—Rory Doherty, Vulture, 20 Oct. 2025
One of the running gags of the Space Race was the unappetizing nature of the food astronauts packed for their trip to the Moon.
—David Szondy
october 19, New Atlas, 19 Oct. 2025
Pointed gestures toward the lingering tension between Japan and Korea — and between those two countries and the rest of the planet — are drowned out by tiresome bickering and exaggerated gags, like a meaningful conversation swallowed into the sound of an airplane engine screaming overhead.
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 15 Oct. 2025
Anderson’s synthesis of all of these themes, motifs, and silly gags into One Battle After Another, which saw Anderson’s biggest movie opening ever last month, shows how Pynchon’s ideas have not only aged well but are more visible and relevant.
—Kevin Dolak, HollywoodReporter, 6 Oct. 2025
My focus was always trying to bring the kind of complexities of the kink world to the screen…trying to find the warmth in that community rather than be like Prince Albert, whips, chains, and gags.
—Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 4 Oct. 2025
There’s a high ratio of gags per page, which is nothing new for Pynchon.
—Book Marks
october 2, Literary Hub, 2 Oct. 2025
Compared to the intro to Borderlands 3, with its never-ending stream of disembodied limbs, gore, and poop gags, the intro to Borderlands 2 feels restrained.
—G Kirilloff, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2025
Verb
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
-
Green is known for speaking his mind, talking candidly, and cracking jokes at the expense of others.—
Nelson Espinal,
MSNBC Newsweek,
22 Oct. 2025
-
Bill Oakley has been making jokes about food for more than half his life.—
Rachel Bernhard,
jsonline.com,
21 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Anoka, Minnesota, began its Halloween celebrations in 1920 to curb destructive pranks by local youths.—
Chris Kenning,
USA Today,
24 Oct. 2025
-
But Fleury’s jokes and pranks also kept light-hearted off the ice.—
Jess Myers,
Twin Cities,
23 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Cartman starts laughing so hard that he projectile vomits all over Thiel.—
Jack Dunn,
Variety,
16 Oct. 2025
-
That horrible mistake reveals itself several scenes later when Katie projectile vomits into her windshield.—
Ben Rosenstock,
Vulture,
24 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Even the woman Larry falls for, Gwen (Evelyn Ankers), isn't immune to the animal's evil charms, and the creature nearly chokes the life out of her in one scene.—
Steven Thrash,
Entertainment Weekly,
24 Oct. 2025
-
Hybrid-resilient architecture—local backups that can kick in like muscle memory when the cloud chokes.—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes.com,
3 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
As Rolling Stone has previously reported, bogus images of classic rockers in hospitals or singing at the graves of other rockers have flooded the internet — fooling some fans in the process and provoking laughs in just as many.—
David Browne,
Rolling Stone,
21 Oct. 2025
-
There will be plenty of laughs, too.—
Rachel Bernhard,
jsonline.com,
21 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Halloween’s history, from tricks to treats Halloween is rooted in the ancient Celtic ritual of Samhain, marking the harvest and coming winter – and few know the shortcomings of the cold more than Minnesotans.—
Chris Kenning,
USA Today,
24 Oct. 2025
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Critic Dwight Macdonald later wrote that Keaton’s singular screen-in-screen transformation made similar tricks by Surrealist giants Dalí, Buñuel, and Cocteau timid by comparison.—
Erik Morse,
Vogue,
23 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Gags.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gags. Accessed 28 Oct. 2025.
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