1
as in laugh
something said or done to cause laughter
he was known for his hilarious jokes
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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
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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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of joke
Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 19 Mar. 2026
Every character has an adorable quirk or two, or at minimum owns a dorky T-shirt with a periodic table joke or a cartoon cat.
—Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 18 Mar. 2026
Theresa Braine, New York Daily News, 16 Mar. 2026
And Zoe Saldaña generously held a fan for her publicist before two people on her team tried to fan her at the same time, leading her to joke that her hair was going to get ruined.
—Rebecca Ford, Vanity Fair, 16 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for joke
Noun
The difference between the applause Knight and Keller received during Storrie’s monologue versus the Hughes brothers was glaring (as was their far superior joke delivery).
—Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 19 Mar. 2026
Every character has an adorable quirk or two, or at minimum owns a dorky T-shirt with a periodic table joke or a cartoon cat.
—Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 18 Mar. 2026
Verb
Afterward, host Conan O’Brien joked about what passed for drama at a largely uneventful evening at the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles.
—Theresa Braine, New York Daily News, 16 Mar. 2026
And Zoe Saldaña generously held a fan for her publicist before two people on her team tried to fan her at the same time, leading her to joke that her hair was going to get ruined.
—Rebecca Ford, Vanity Fair, 16 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for joke
Recent Examples of Synonyms for joke
Noun
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And yes, because we are blessed with famous weather, whole neighborhoods and districts can risk spilling out into the sidewalks, where laughs get louder, music gets blasted and the street fashion becomes a runway.—
Elisa Wouk Almino
Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
13 Mar. 2026
-
Roger, in chains, talks to his captor like an old peer as the two laugh about battles of old, and Roger asks Garp for a favor before dying.—
Rafael Motamayor,
Vulture,
12 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
How did Jane Lynch wind up in the YouTube ad parodies?—
Michael Schneider,
Variety,
16 Mar. 2026
-
People can appreciate a Marx Brothers movie like Duck Soup, which is a parody of war and a musical.—
Jason P. Frank,
Vulture,
14 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Only fools would think differently.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
15 Mar. 2026
-
Who’s fool enough to tie up girls who are double jointed and flexible enough to fling their feet up to the height of a man’s neck?—
Jada Yuan,
Vulture,
14 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The film, based on a true story that became a media sensation in the '80s, never renders a definitive judgment on von Bülow (who was acquitted in court), leaving him an indelible enigma that Irons teases but never tells.—
Devan Coggan,
Entertainment Weekly,
15 Mar. 2026
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Rivian has been teasing the R2 for a while now, dangling the promise of a smaller, cheaper, more attainable version of its beloved R1S in front of adventure-hungry buyers who couldn’t quite stretch to the $77,000-plus sticker of its halo SUV.—
Kevin Sintumuang,
Outside,
13 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Lindsay says that Jesse was serious about asking, but that the make-out would be a joking make-out.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
4 Mar. 2026
-
The women’s team declined their joking invitation and had to explain comments directed at them.—
Dave Hyde,
Sun Sentinel,
28 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Holtz in his later years became something of a caricature, like an actor who leans into the over-the-top quirks of his role.—
Andrew Carter,
Chicago Tribune,
17 Mar. 2026
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Barbara isn’t a caricature but a deeply human portrait of a woman whose worldview swings wildly between moral superiority and intense self-doubt, both extremes that foreclose human connection.—
Isle McElroy,
The Atlantic,
16 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The new Type-12, however, would provide Japan with counter-strike or pre-emptive strike capabilities to hit targets from its shores.—
Christopher McFadden,
Interesting Engineering,
15 Mar. 2026
-
The home team outshot the Summit 20-6, including a 6-2 edge in shots on target.—
Harold Gutmann,
Mercury News,
15 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
But Foley wasn’t really kidding.—
Tom Mulherin,
Boston Herald,
15 Mar. 2026
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Download a map and a donut passport or contact the donut concierge—I’m not kidding—who can customize your itinerary.—
Allison Tibaldi,
USA Today,
10 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Joke.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/joke. Accessed 20 Mar. 2026.
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