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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show current usage.
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Recent Examples of gags
David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 4 June 2026
Jokes, gags, set pieces, and even whole characters and storylines slowly get chiseled down and weeded out through development, production, and post-production.
—Entertainment Weekly, 2 June 2026
The reveal runs from players 1 through 26, leaning heavily on props and visual gags to name the squad.
—Don Riddell, CNN Money, 1 June 2026
While most of its funny moments fall into overused gags, Jonnie Park and Yvette Nicole Brown are genuine comedic gold as an adorably odd couple that shine on screen together every time.
—Jeff Benjamin, Forbes.com, 30 May 2026
Co-director McKenna Harris revealed that there were a few more gags that didn’t make it into the film.
—Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 26 May 2026
Reaper Man, a reworking of the 1934 film Death Takes a Holiday, is among the first Discworld novels to incorporate real pathos alongside the gags.
—Helen Lewis, The Atlantic, 24 May 2026
There are gags in I Love Boosters straight out of Looney Tunes, like Corvette trying (and failing) to run out of Christie’s leaning condo building with the speed of Woody Woodpecker.
—Angelica Jade Bastién, Vulture, 23 May 2026
The scene used one of the film’s funniest visual gags, an apartment so crazily tilted that nobody inside it could stand up straight.
—Emily Nussbaum, New Yorker, 17 May 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
But the actors are reduced to joke machines trapped in a nonsensical nonplot, and while some of those gags yield laughs, a far greater number fall flat.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 4 June 2026
Jokes, gags, set pieces, and even whole characters and storylines slowly get chiseled down and weeded out through development, production, and post-production.
—Entertainment Weekly, 2 June 2026
The reveal runs from players 1 through 26, leaning heavily on props and visual gags to name the squad.
—Don Riddell, CNN Money, 1 June 2026
While most of its funny moments fall into overused gags, Jonnie Park and Yvette Nicole Brown are genuine comedic gold as an adorably odd couple that shine on screen together every time.
—Jeff Benjamin, Forbes.com, 30 May 2026
Co-director McKenna Harris revealed that there were a few more gags that didn’t make it into the film.
—Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 26 May 2026
Reaper Man, a reworking of the 1934 film Death Takes a Holiday, is among the first Discworld novels to incorporate real pathos alongside the gags.
—Helen Lewis, The Atlantic, 24 May 2026
There are gags in I Love Boosters straight out of Looney Tunes, like Corvette trying (and failing) to run out of Christie’s leaning condo building with the speed of Woody Woodpecker.
—Angelica Jade Bastién, Vulture, 23 May 2026
The scene used one of the film’s funniest visual gags, an apartment so crazily tilted that nobody inside it could stand up straight.
—Emily Nussbaum, New Yorker, 17 May 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
-
The day shift also starts making factory-work jokes, with Rekha playing a perky do-bee who just wants to make the boss happy, and Lily adopting an agitator role, demanding workman’s comp and trying to spark revolt.—
Tasha Robinson,
Vulture,
16 June 2026
-
The camaraderie is there; the jokes are there.—
KiMi Robinson,
USA Today,
16 June 2026
Noun
-
Senior pranks Senior pranks had long been a rite of passage at Newark, Leggett said.—
Rebecca Johnson,
Chicago Tribune,
13 June 2026
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In Lebanon, a look-alike delivery driver posts satirical videos and pranks unsuspecting residents, showing the fear Adraee inspires.—
Melanie Lidman,
Los Angeles Times,
9 June 2026
Verb
-
Shows were led by a sentient wad of meat, a talk-show host who vomits in front of guests, and a reality-TV star who never shows his face.—
Eric Vilas-Boas,
Vulture,
18 Mar. 2026
-
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
Verb
-
Not the one who chokes in the playoffs.—
Geoff Clark OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
7 May 2026
-
Democratic lawmakers aren’t particularly sympathetic to the industry, pointing to reports of soaring profits for oil companies as the war chokes consumers around the world.—
Sacbee.com,
Sacbee.com,
6 May 2026
Noun
-
Often, the laughs on the show are generated by a delicate interplay between the music and the sound design.—
Jim Hemphill,
IndieWire,
12 June 2026
-
The tech is terrifying, but it’s treated matter-of-factly, played for barked laughs.—
Sheldon Pearce,
New Yorker,
12 June 2026
Noun
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One of my nerdiest hip-hop fan instincts is trying to catch the subtle ways production tricks and flows migrate from one city to the next, like an invasive species.—
Alphonse Pierre,
Pitchfork,
16 June 2026
-
One of his greatest joys was performing magic tricks alongside his granddaughter.—
Melina Khan,
USA Today,
16 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Gags.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gags. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
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