as in joke
something said or done to cause laughter
by the standards of today's no-holds-barred satire, Will Rogers' homespun japes about politicians seem awfully gentle
Synonyms & Similar Words
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as in to joke
to make jokes
the characters in Oscar Wilde's plays jape with a readiness and sophistication that is rarely, if ever, encountered in real life
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of jape
Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 24 Jan. 2026
That is when the japes really started, most prominently on a mid-season bonding trip to Barcelona when four players ‘borrowed’ a taxi after a late-night trip to McDonald’s.
—Nick Miller, New York Times, 26 Oct. 2025
Before this fifth season put him closer to the center of the action, Roddy had undoubtedly been a misfit among misfits at Slough House, a desk jockey who would hold court at his computer, issuing snide japes at anyone within earshot.
—Scott Tobias, Vulture, 8 Oct. 2025
Merry japes ensue, with Madea convincing Levy and Co. to don disguises in a bid to oust the criminal businessmen.
—Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 14 Sep. 2025
Perhaps that’s why Hook’s japes hold a kernel of wisdom; the knowledge that when all else fails, finding the fun in absurd chaos (say, on a quiet London street) is an apt response to a chaotic world.
—Daniel Seifert, JSTOR Daily, 16 July 2025
The curators know who the target audience is: people who still get a kick out of decades-old barf japes.
—Patrick Sauer, Smithsonian Magazine, 17 Sep. 2024
This one happens to run on digital blood spatter, bootleg CGI and japes about genitalia, but the animus behind these films is nostalgia for the kind of pounding marquee movies of the 1980s and ‘90s, when the men were muscly and the misogyny was cool with everyone.
—Katie Walsh, Los Angeles Times, 21 Sep. 2023
wsj.com, 12 May 2023
Noun
The camp hatred of Barney is really a leftover 1960s counterculture jape.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 24 Jan. 2026
That is when the japes really started, most prominently on a mid-season bonding trip to Barcelona when four players ‘borrowed’ a taxi after a late-night trip to McDonald’s.
—Nick Miller, New York Times, 26 Oct. 2025
Before this fifth season put him closer to the center of the action, Roddy had undoubtedly been a misfit among misfits at Slough House, a desk jockey who would hold court at his computer, issuing snide japes at anyone within earshot.
—Scott Tobias, Vulture, 8 Oct. 2025
Merry japes ensue, with Madea convincing Levy and Co. to don disguises in a bid to oust the criminal businessmen.
—Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 14 Sep. 2025
Perhaps that’s why Hook’s japes hold a kernel of wisdom; the knowledge that when all else fails, finding the fun in absurd chaos (say, on a quiet London street) is an apt response to a chaotic world.
—Daniel Seifert, JSTOR Daily, 16 July 2025
The curators know who the target audience is: people who still get a kick out of decades-old barf japes.
—Patrick Sauer, Smithsonian Magazine, 17 Sep. 2024
This one happens to run on digital blood spatter, bootleg CGI and japes about genitalia, but the animus behind these films is nostalgia for the kind of pounding marquee movies of the 1980s and ‘90s, when the men were muscly and the misogyny was cool with everyone.
—Katie Walsh, Los Angeles Times, 21 Sep. 2023
Verb
He is reported to have participated in a pestilential online gun culture, replete with tasteless japing about mass shootings.
—wsj.com, 12 May 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for jape
Noun
-
Gwen then cracks a joke about firing Del Rio's character.—
Wesley Stenzel,
Entertainment Weekly,
27 Feb. 2026
-
There is a drawing of a child crouched on a ride-on suitcase, notes for a joke Fleming posted online in January.—
Kathryn VanArendonk,
Vulture,
26 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Mamdani has said nobody should throw snowballs at cops — jesting that the public should throw them at him instead — but does not see it as a criminal matter.—
Thomas Tracy,
New York Daily News,
25 Feb. 2026
-
So much so that a cheeky George Clooney let loose a certain four-letter word while jesting about a fellow actor.—
KiMi Robinson,
USA Today,
10 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
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
-
Trump told the men’s team during the call, eliciting laughs in the background.—
Rachel Roberts,
Idaho Statesman,
27 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The women’s team declined their joking invitation and had to explain comments directed at them.—
Dave Hyde,
Sun Sentinel,
28 Feb. 2026
-
The tiny macaque, born on July 26, is often spotted clutching a plush toy from IKEA and has melted hearts across the internet, inspiring a wave of comments from fans half-joking about booking flights to Japan to check on him.—
Joshua Mellin,
Travel + Leisure,
27 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Jape.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/jape. Accessed 4 Mar. 2026.
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