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
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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of joke
Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 9 Apr. 2026
Now the joke was that this was Paul and Michelle’s last chance to hang out with their friends for the next eighteen years, and the promise was that everyone would be home by five.
—Literary Hub, 9 Apr. 2026
Claire Dodds, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Apr. 2026
According to these sources, regardless of previous misreporting (or joking by cast and/or crew), there was never an NC-17 (or a Skarsgård) cut of the film.
—Gustavo Turner, HollywoodReporter, 1 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for joke
Noun
There are some jokes that some might read as saucy and some dance moves that are as indebted to pop concept tours as Broadway.
—Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 9 Apr. 2026
Now the joke was that this was Paul and Michelle’s last chance to hang out with their friends for the next eighteen years, and the promise was that everyone would be home by five.
—Literary Hub, 9 Apr. 2026
Verb
The unusual survival of the snack soon sparked reactions online, with many commentators joking about the resilience of the popular cheese puffs.
—Claire Dodds, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Apr. 2026
According to these sources, regardless of previous misreporting (or joking by cast and/or crew), there was never an NC-17 (or a Skarsgård) cut of the film.
—Gustavo Turner, HollywoodReporter, 1 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for joke
Recent Examples of Synonyms for joke
Noun
-
Willy laments to his stout and thankless wife, Linda (Laurie Metcalf, upholding her reputation as a Broadway MVP), that buyers on the road laugh at him — that one even called him a shrimp.—
Naveen Kumar,
Variety,
10 Apr. 2026
-
Five years — and many an Emmy later — the show's portrayal of strong female friendship doesn't cease to be inspiring, earning more than its fair share of laughs along the way.—
Rebecca Aizin,
PEOPLE,
10 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The fan-favorite fighter is a parody of '90s action movie stars like Jean-Claude Van Damme, who was an inspiration for the character, according to Polygon.—
Christopher Rudolph,
PEOPLE,
11 Apr. 2026
-
Human artists have designed creative parodies of AI slop, but AI lacks the necessary self-awareness to parody itself, even with a human behind the wheel.—
Cath Virginia,
The Verge,
11 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
And what kind of fool would write such an article?—
George Varga,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
5 Apr. 2026
-
Start with a pastel pink French tip, then treat each nail as a canvas for delicate swan art (or opt for stickers for a fool-proof DIY).—
Amanda Le,
InStyle,
4 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Or maybe, as some eyebrow-raising posts on social media jokingly teased, foreshadowing a possible papal presidential run?—
Terry Collins,
USA Today,
12 Apr. 2026
-
Bieber teased his headlining set with a preview performance at the Roxy in Los Angeles just over a week before the festival.—
Larisha Paul,
Rolling Stone,
12 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
There was none of the usual laughing and joking.—
Mario Cortegana,
New York Times,
20 Mar. 2026
-
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
Noun
-
The result has been something like an inverse caricature of Republican complaints about diversity, equity, and inclusion, a system in which the incompetent rise not because of their abilities but because of their sycophancy.—
Adam Serwer,
The Atlantic,
8 Apr. 2026
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There are some surprise attractions too, from the Cartoon Museum, which documents the history of British cartoons, caricatures and comics, to the spectacular Byzantine-style Fitzrovia Chapel with its gold mosaic ceiling where King Charles recorded his Christmas broadcast in 2024.—
Siobhan Grogan,
TheWeek,
7 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Ultimately, the scammers appear to use their initial contractor targets as unsuspecting mules for the malware payload.—
Jessica Klein,
PC Magazine,
11 Apr. 2026
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Iran's president, Masoud Pezeshkian, cited Israel's continued attacks on targets inside Lebanon as a primary source of tension as his country and the United States engaged in peace talks in Islamabad.—
NBC News,
NBC news,
11 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Both kids cheer and bite into their burgers.—
Fortesa Latifi,
Rolling Stone,
5 Apr. 2026
-
As previously mentioned, Meevee targets a preschool audience — specifically kids two to six — pretty much the only ages parents can (and should) be in sole control of their children’s screen time anyway.—
Tony Maglio,
HollywoodReporter,
1 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Joke.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/joke. Accessed 14 Apr. 2026.
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