1
as in laugh
something said or done to cause laughter
he was known for his hilarious jokes
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in parody
a poor, insincere, or insulting imitation of something
her rendition of the national anthem is a joke
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in fool
a person or thing that is made fun of
having lost his looks and his voice years ago, these days he's just a show business joke and fodder for late-night comedy
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to fun
to make jokes
he was known for his ability to joke about his lack of anything resembling a social life
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 joke
Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 30 Apr. 2026
Can’t just go up and tell joke after joke after joke.
—Los Angeles Times, 30 Apr. 2026
Tom Tapp, Deadline, 28 Apr. 2026
But with the Yankees already up, 12-4, Chisholm and his peers were able to joke about his poor judgement.
—Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 26 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for joke
Noun
And, barring a few jokes about speaking French and a somber wreath laying at the 9/11 memorial, the vibes are simply awkward, stilted and unsettled.
—Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 30 Apr. 2026
Can’t just go up and tell joke after joke after joke.
—Los Angeles Times, 30 Apr. 2026
Verb
In fact, Colbert often jokes about it on air.
—Tom Tapp, Deadline, 28 Apr. 2026
But with the Yankees already up, 12-4, Chisholm and his peers were able to joke about his poor judgement.
—Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 26 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for joke
Recent Examples of Synonyms for joke
Noun
-
McDaniels, who cut through the Nuggets’ egos early in the series with fearless words and a smug grin, got the last laugh.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
1 May 2026
-
Her laugh was loud and heartfelt.—
Laura Rodríguez Presa,
Chicago Tribune,
1 May 2026
Noun
-
The whole conversation with that executive felt like a parody of my industry.—
Ryan O'Connell,
HollywoodReporter,
4 May 2026
-
His deadpan humor comes through most brilliantly in Game Boy Tetris (2013–19), a parody of the logic of optimization that underpins capitalist culture.—
Emily Watlington,
ARTnews.com,
1 May 2026
Noun
-
Post-draft outlook Don’t let the draft-weekend optimism fool you — the Cardinals have a long road ahead.—
Doug Haller,
New York Times,
26 Apr. 2026
-
There is an old saying that people who represent themselves in court effectively have a fool for a lawyer.—
Caroline Kubzansky,
Chicago Tribune,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
As a new filmmaker offering a new take on Leatherface more than 50 years after the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Curry Barker recently teased his plans for the reboot.—
Glenn Garner,
Deadline,
2 May 2026
-
In an interview for Rolling Stone’s Future of Music series, the trio teased their evolving sound.—
Maya Georgi,
Rolling Stone,
1 May 2026
Noun
-
The president has long bristled at the otherwise customary joking at his expense by celebrity comedians.—
Dennis Romero,
NBC news,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Here opposites — classy and brassy — are distractions, with odd-couple joking substituting for something more substantial.—
Frank Rizzo,
Variety,
23 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Sacramento City Unified School District is looking to change a high school mascot which depicts a racial caricature that is offensive to the Indigenous community.—
Jennah Pendleton,
Sacbee.com,
1 May 2026
-
For kids, there will be a mobile video game truck, skills and drills stations, inflatables, balloon and caricature artist and a face painter.—
Kirk Kenney,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
1 May 2026
Noun
-
While half of the analysts polled by LSEG have a buy or strong buy rating, the average price target implies a pullback of more than 12% over the next year.—
Alex Harring,
CNBC,
2 May 2026
-
Showing emotion could make someone a target.—
Lisa Deaderick,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
2 May 2026
Verb
-
Young Michael may have seemed strange, or just plain different, to kids his own age, but what about the adult Michael, whose professional life took him outside the family orbit and into offices, studios, and night clubs?—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
23 Apr. 2026
-
Just kidding, but that would’ve been awesome.—
Maggie Fremont,
Vulture,
17 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Joke.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/joke. Accessed 6 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
