1
as in laughs
something said or done to cause laughter
he was known for his hilarious jokes
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in parodies
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 fools
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 kids
to make jokes
he was known for his ability to joke about his lack of anything resembling a social life
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
Example Sentences
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show current usage.
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Recent Examples of jokes
Antonia Hitchens, New Yorker, 6 Apr. 2026
Some people embed terms in memes, jokes or ironic commentary.
—Sharlette A. Kellum, The Conversation, 6 Apr. 2026
This sharp satire of the entertainment industry tackles serious issues like addiction and depression while never skimping on the jokes.
—Andrew Walsh, Entertainment Weekly, 5 Apr. 2026
The Department of Homeland Security is attacking Jimmy Kimmel’s jokes about Markwayne Mullin’s past as a plumber.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 5 Apr. 2026
Hart was reprimanding Ross for doing what is the most offensive thing a comedian can do — suck up to the most important person in the room — and enforcing an old ethic in comedy, which is not apologizing for your jokes.
—Robert Lynch, Chicago Tribune, 3 Apr. 2026
The response to the outcry led to even more jokes online.
—Bennett Conlin, Baltimore Sun, 2 Apr. 2026
Don't worry about anything inappropriate—all of these Easter jokes are perfect for kids.
—Nellah Bailey McGough, Southern Living, 2 Apr. 2026
The cast still keeps in touch through a long-running group chat filled with jokes, holiday messages and shared memories, many of which center around late co-star Bob Saget.
—Brittany Talarico, PEOPLE, 2 Apr. 2026
Michelle Del Rey, USA Today, 26 Mar. 2026
Bridges jokes that her staff are more nervous about a drop-by visit from her than from state inspectors.
—Katie Langford, Denver Post, 22 Mar. 2026
And that is how the government of Lebanon jokes about us.
—Benjamin Weinthal, FOXNews.com, 12 Mar. 2026
When Bad Bunny began the halftime show by carrying a football around his detailed Levi’s Stadium set, jokes that the artist had accumulated more yards than the Patriots flooded social media.
—Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 9 Feb. 2026
One member of staff jokes that upon seeing Ho, there is a sudden impulse to salute, not out of fear, but out of sheer pride in the project.
—Megan Feringa, New York Times, 9 Feb. 2026
At the end of the video, Swift shows a clip from their appearance on the Graham Norton Show in which Gleeson jokes about wanting to star in a music video and Swift giving a surprised, but cryptic smile.
—Lexy Perez, HollywoodReporter, 6 Feb. 2026
In it, DiCaprio expressively jokes with an unseen person.
—Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 14 Jan. 2026
Palka jokes more than once that I could be baptized at their next ceremony.
—Tara Palmeri, Vanity Fair, 12 Jan. 2026
Noun
Did this make Fuentes, Morgan asked, want to reconsider his jokes on the subject?
—Antonia Hitchens, New Yorker, 6 Apr. 2026
Some people embed terms in memes, jokes or ironic commentary.
—Sharlette A. Kellum, The Conversation, 6 Apr. 2026
This sharp satire of the entertainment industry tackles serious issues like addiction and depression while never skimping on the jokes.
—Andrew Walsh, Entertainment Weekly, 5 Apr. 2026
The Department of Homeland Security is attacking Jimmy Kimmel’s jokes about Markwayne Mullin’s past as a plumber.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 5 Apr. 2026
Hart was reprimanding Ross for doing what is the most offensive thing a comedian can do — suck up to the most important person in the room — and enforcing an old ethic in comedy, which is not apologizing for your jokes.
—Robert Lynch, Chicago Tribune, 3 Apr. 2026
The response to the outcry led to even more jokes online.
—Bennett Conlin, Baltimore Sun, 2 Apr. 2026
Don't worry about anything inappropriate—all of these Easter jokes are perfect for kids.
—Nellah Bailey McGough, Southern Living, 2 Apr. 2026
The cast still keeps in touch through a long-running group chat filled with jokes, holiday messages and shared memories, many of which center around late co-star Bob Saget.
—Brittany Talarico, PEOPLE, 2 Apr. 2026
Verb
The comedian jokes to laughter and applause before asking if anyone in the room is a lawyer.
—Michelle Del Rey, USA Today, 26 Mar. 2026
Bridges jokes that her staff are more nervous about a drop-by visit from her than from state inspectors.
—Katie Langford, Denver Post, 22 Mar. 2026
And that is how the government of Lebanon jokes about us.
—Benjamin Weinthal, FOXNews.com, 12 Mar. 2026
When Bad Bunny began the halftime show by carrying a football around his detailed Levi’s Stadium set, jokes that the artist had accumulated more yards than the Patriots flooded social media.
—Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 9 Feb. 2026
One member of staff jokes that upon seeing Ho, there is a sudden impulse to salute, not out of fear, but out of sheer pride in the project.
—Megan Feringa, New York Times, 9 Feb. 2026
At the end of the video, Swift shows a clip from their appearance on the Graham Norton Show in which Gleeson jokes about wanting to star in a music video and Swift giving a surprised, but cryptic smile.
—Lexy Perez, HollywoodReporter, 6 Feb. 2026
In it, DiCaprio expressively jokes with an unseen person.
—Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 14 Jan. 2026
Palka jokes more than once that I could be baptized at their next ceremony.
—Tara Palmeri, Vanity Fair, 12 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for jokes
Noun
-
Bauers clearly hit the base square in the middle, and the call was quickly overturned, leading to laughs from both managers, the Rays’ Kevin Cash and the Brewers’ Pat Murphy.—
Paul Sullivan,
Chicago Tribune,
2 Apr. 2026
-
On Broadway, Leon gets the bad laughs.—
Emily Nussbaum,
New Yorker,
2 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
How did Jane Lynch wind up in the YouTube ad parodies?—
Michael Schneider,
Variety,
16 Mar. 2026
-
Countless memes and parodies have circulated online.—
Melina Khan,
USA Today,
9 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
McGinn sets high standards in training and during games and does not suffer fools.—
Jacob Tanswell,
New York Times,
25 Mar. 2026
-
Antisemitism is the socialism of fools, right?—
Suzanne Schneider,
The New York Review of Books,
25 Mar. 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
Verb
-
The first clip, which THR can reveal here, teases the emotion, the intimacy, and the love triangle that audiences can expect from the series.—
Georg Szalai,
HollywoodReporter,
8 Apr. 2026
-
The clip also teases some plot points of the sequel film to the original 2006 film starring Meryl Streep and Anne Hathaway.—
Dessi Gomez,
Deadline,
6 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Don't forget to dust off your favorite April Fool's gags today.—
Joe Mutascio,
IndyStar,
1 Apr. 2026
-
Some of the gags are inspired, some are exasperating, none of them are presented in a way that suggests the filmmakers know the difference, and all of them are shoved down your throat until they’re diminished enough to swallow.—
David Ehrlich,
IndieWire,
31 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
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
-
While some celebrants have greeted these caricatures with cathartic jeers and sneers, others are shocked and outraged.—
Tim Brinkhof,
JSTOR Daily,
1 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The bankruptcy court has approved $10 million to pursue legal claims against former Prospect principals, with Leonard Green and Prospect’s former top executives, Lee and Topper, as the big targets.—
Peter Elkind,
ProPublica,
9 Apr. 2026
-
Once targets were identified, prosecutors said the group broke into homes, sometimes cutting power beforehand before ransacking them.—
Stephen Sorace,
FOXNews.com,
9 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Jokes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/jokes. Accessed 12 Apr. 2026.
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