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
Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 23 Apr. 2026
The jokes followed quickly after.
—Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 23 Apr. 2026
Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 21 Apr. 2026
The moment first caught attention in a short TikTok, where Kulaga joked that the entire event had been part of a bigger plan.
—Ashley Vega, PEOPLE, 21 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for joke
Noun
Conan O’Brien cracked some jokes about Netflix at the Oscars.
—Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 23 Apr. 2026
The jokes followed quickly after.
—Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 23 Apr. 2026
Verb
Liam keeps joking about it on Twitter.
—Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 21 Apr. 2026
The moment first caught attention in a short TikTok, where Kulaga joked that the entire event had been part of a bigger plan.
—Ashley Vega, PEOPLE, 21 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for joke
Recent Examples of Synonyms for joke
Noun
-
Their laughs and chatter fill the countryside and one another’s hearts, the merriment binding them all together like caterpillars in one big cocoon.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
24 Apr. 2026
-
Over Your Dead Body knows that sustaining a harmonious union amid petty jealousies, paranoia, and personal flaws is hard; navigating a hostage situation involving desperate sickos and sociopaths is even harder; and maintaining a balance of laughs and gag-reflex tweaking is the hardest of it all.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The musical — a rock-and-raunch, goth-and-gay parody of cheesy, mid-century horror/sci-fi flicks — was created by Richard O’Brien (book, music, lyrics and who performed as the snarling butler Riff Raff).—
Frank Rizzo,
Variety,
24 Apr. 2026
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The new plan does not change the Onion’s mission, which is to turn the site into a parody of itself and sell merchandise, sharing profits with Sandy Hook families.—
Theresa Braine,
New York Daily News,
21 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Looking for trends after 20-something games is a fool’s errand, of course.—
Paul Sullivan,
Chicago Tribune,
19 Apr. 2026
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There was always a comedian on somebody’s album doing a skit or some funny one-liners or in the video acting a fool.—
Preezy Brown,
VIBE.com,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Castmembers Kevin Sussman, Lauren Lapkus, Brian Posehn and John Ross Bowie took the stage at CCXP Mexico City to tease their project that combines comedy with sci-fi and is set to begin streaming on HBO Max in July.—
Ryan Gajewski,
HollywoodReporter,
26 Apr. 2026
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Creator Bruce Miller was more than happy to tease what’s to come this week in episode 6, while on stage at the Deadline Contenders TV panel.—
Amanda Champagne-Meadows,
Deadline,
26 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Here opposites — classy and brassy — are distractions, with odd-couple joking substituting for something more substantial.—
Frank Rizzo,
Variety,
23 Apr. 2026
-
There was none of the usual laughing and joking.—
Mario Cortegana,
New York Times,
20 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
In another gallery, Joe Overstreet’s The New Jemima reimagines a racist caricature as a bold, satirical portrait of power, its bright colors dominating the quiet space.—
Carrie Honaker,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
23 Apr. 2026
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The other women in the friends’ lives — primarily their mothers — don’t fare much better and are reduced to near-caricatures.—
Frank Rizzo,
Variety,
23 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The Chargers’ Ladd McConkey put up a Pro-Bowl caliber campaign in ’24 as a first-year target (82 catches, 1,149 receiving yards, seven scores), while Rashod Bateman’s numbers as a rookie in ’22 were merely serviceable (46 grabs, 515 yards, one TD).—
Sean Keeler,
Denver Post,
25 Apr. 2026
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Higher-income targets may see investment scams.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
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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 28 Apr. 2026.
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