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
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Recent Examples of jape
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
What follows is a Die Hard–style jape that, spoiler, ends in the entire Lonely Island being shot and killed.
—Marianne Eloise, Vulture, 11 Dec. 2024
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
But as the capital merry-go-round spun its peccadilloes, scandals and ballyhooed promises, his jaunty baritone restored order with bipartisan japes and irreverent songs to deflate the preening ego and the Big Idea. Presidents from Eisenhower to Trump caught the flak.
—Robert D. McFadden, New York Times, 30 Mar. 2023
Characterizing universes in which this kind of informaiotn transmission can take place might be a useful jape for astrobiologists with time on their hands.
—The Physics Arxiv Blog, Discover Magazine, 28 Feb. 2023
Director Aaron Posner’s organizing notion proves far better suited to a short skit than a full 150 minutes of expository twists — and antiquated japes.
—Peter Marks, Washington Post, 22 Jan. 2020
wsj.com, 12 May 2023
Noun
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
What follows is a Die Hard–style jape that, spoiler, ends in the entire Lonely Island being shot and killed.
—Marianne Eloise, Vulture, 11 Dec. 2024
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
But as the capital merry-go-round spun its peccadilloes, scandals and ballyhooed promises, his jaunty baritone restored order with bipartisan japes and irreverent songs to deflate the preening ego and the Big Idea. Presidents from Eisenhower to Trump caught the flak.
—Robert D. McFadden, New York Times, 30 Mar. 2023
Characterizing universes in which this kind of informaiotn transmission can take place might be a useful jape for astrobiologists with time on their hands.
—The Physics Arxiv Blog, Discover Magazine, 28 Feb. 2023
Director Aaron Posner’s organizing notion proves far better suited to a short skit than a full 150 minutes of expository twists — and antiquated japes.
—Peter Marks, Washington Post, 22 Jan. 2020
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
-
According to The New York Times, Chappelle — who has been under fired for his transphobic jokes in the past — used his comedy set at the Riyadh Comedy Festival to speak about the lack of freedom of speech in the United States, especially in the wake of Charlie Kirk’s killing.—
Emily Zemler,
Rolling Stone,
3 Oct. 2025
-
People taking offense at jokes simply didn’t land as a news story anymore.—
David Weigel,
semafor.com,
3 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
And his sense of humor douses jest over images that probably shouldn’t be funny.—
Andre Gee,
Rolling Stone,
29 May 2025
-
The big picture: Parody accounts from Mount Rainier and Mount Hood are trading playful taunts and humorous one-upmanship, comparing body counts and jesting about whether size matters.—
Christine Clarridge,
Axios,
28 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
McIlroy got the last laugh, though.—
Kendall Capps,
MSNBC Newsweek,
28 Sep. 2025
-
Both donning their iconic dark sunglasses at the indoor event, the pair shared a hug and a laugh backstage.—
Andrew McGowan,
Variety,
27 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Only an Aries, like Lily, can take Barney’s jabs in a joking way.—
Lisa Stardust,
PEOPLE,
19 Sep. 2025
-
When Peanut pulled his second escape act, his owners knew where to look and handled Peanut's disappearance in a joking manner.—
Michael Nied,
People.com,
2 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Jape.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/jape. Accessed 6 Oct. 2025.
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