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
Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 25 Feb. 2026
But his joke during the phone call about also having to invite the women and the subsequent laughter from the men, which was captured on video and circulated widely on social media, set off a firestorm of criticism, with many expressing frustration that the joke diminished the women's achievement.
—Doha Madani, NBC news, 25 Feb. 2026
Dallas Morning News, 22 Feb. 2026
Bamigboye joked that the takeover saga could one day make a movie.
—Jake Kanter, Deadline, 22 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for joke
Noun
In those movies the people become jokes — in a Robert Carradine comedy, the jokes become people.
—Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 25 Feb. 2026
But his joke during the phone call about also having to invite the women and the subsequent laughter from the men, which was captured on video and circulated widely on social media, set off a firestorm of criticism, with many expressing frustration that the joke diminished the women's achievement.
—Doha Madani, NBC news, 25 Feb. 2026
Verb
Aside from the 43rd president’s penchant for surfacing mostly for official events — joking in an affectionate and hilarious manner with Michelle Obama — Bush’s taciturn post-presidency cuts a striking contrast with the two men who bracketed his tenure.
—Dallas Morning News, 22 Feb. 2026
Bamigboye joked that the takeover saga could one day make a movie.
—Jake Kanter, Deadline, 22 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for joke
Recent Examples of Synonyms for joke
Noun
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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
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Their sly and winning songwriting deftly embraced more than a wink-wink, nudge-nudge of shrewd parody and unabashed social incorrectness.—
Christopher Smith,
Oc Register,
18 Feb. 2026
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Humphrey, determined to recreate the video as accurately as possible, worked with Southwest to film her parody on a real plane with the same flight attendant from the first video.—
Kate Perez,
USA Today,
14 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Don’t let the term ‘first flat’ fool you—Diana’s early digs were anything but shabby.—
Bailey Bujnosek,
InStyle,
23 Feb. 2026
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Arguing with the guru, it was said, was a fool’s response, like kicking gold.—
Blair Glaser,
Fortune,
23 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Coach teased the launch of its book charms in a series of social media posts starring actors Elle Fanning and Storm Reid, WNBA player Paige Bueckers and musicians SOYEON, Lilas and Shan Yichun.—
Angela Yang,
NBC news,
1 Mar. 2026
-
Honor humanoid robot Meanwhile, Honor teased its first humanoid robot on stage at its MWC launch event.—
Arjun Kharpal,
CNBC,
1 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Harry Styles is ready to do some late-night joking.—
Brendan Morrow,
USA Today,
23 Feb. 2026
-
Written in a joking and contemptuous tone, the tweet would take on an indescribably morbid weight just five days later, when, at the behest of Governor Cláudio Castro, the Rio de Janeiro police carried out the deadliest massacre in the country’s history.—
Evandro Cruz Silva,
The Dial,
10 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Often employing caricature, distortion and symbolism to communicate anxiety and resistance, his works are personal and political, offering a critique of the systems that oppress people of color.—
Evan Nicole Brown,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Feb. 2026
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Yet this caricature of Jackson as an anti-white, anti-Semitic demagogue never reflected the man.—
Adam Serwer,
The Atlantic,
17 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The weekend attacks have caused travel chaos worldwide as airlines cancel flights through key Middle Eastern hubs that have become the target of Iranian retaliation for hosting US military bases.—
Laura Sharman,
CNN Money,
1 Mar. 2026
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Channel 12 reported that among the targets of the opening strikes were the homes of ministers and military heads, Defense and Intelligence Ministry installations, and a presidential facility.—
Brady Knox,
The Washington Examiner,
28 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Ziegler most recently served as senior vice president and general merchandise manager at Saks Global overseeing multiple women’s and kids categories for Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus.—
David Moin,
Footwear News,
20 Feb. 2026
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But don’t kid yourself, if Crosby isn’t in uniform Friday, every single player in that dressing room will take their cue from the best player in the world.—
Pierre LeBrun,
New York Times,
19 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Joke.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/joke. Accessed 2 Mar. 2026.
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