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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Recent Examples of jokes
Arati Menon, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 June 2026
The Tribeca Film Festival has publicly condemned jokes made on the red carpet at the premiere of The Wedding Entertainer (The Tale of Moishe Badhan).
—Bethy Squires, Vulture, 7 June 2026
The jokes can be funny, yet in the light of day, the realities are anything but.
—Steven Andreasen, Twin Cities, 7 June 2026
The local language dubbing of jokes.
—Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 7 June 2026
Sitting in the dark press junket room surrounded by cameras and television screens, the brothers Wayans bounce jokes off each other and finish each other’s sentences like identical twins.
—Datwon Thomas, VIBE.com, 6 June 2026
And even the most disillusioned, above-it-all people feel different when the jokes are on them.
—Donie O'Sullivan, CNN Money, 6 June 2026
The jokes, the pacing, the way everything moved.
—Alex Shoemaker, Parents, 6 June 2026
The concept was already mildly stale in 1983; in 2026, jokes about Nate learning to use a toaster or a GPS come off as well past their expiration date, no matter how earnestly dopey a performance Bargatze gives.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 5 June 2026
Carlos Aguilar, Los Angeles Times, 12 May 2026
However, when the team started winning, Hampton jokes that the coach quickly came around.
—Meredith Wilshere, PEOPLE, 9 May 2026
Youssef jokes about a previous time Fox News invoked his name to get a rise out of its audience.
—Michael Schneider, Variety, 8 May 2026
Lindsay jokes that Kyle lost his wedding ring but found a DJ career, which lights the long fuse that ignites the whole evening.
—Brian Moylan, Vulture, 6 May 2026
As an elder, Mellencamp often jokes about how many tours he was fired from in his salad days, usually because the headlining acts (KISS, REO Speedwagon, British hard rock act Rainbow) and their audiences didn’t take to his kiss-off attitude and misfit energy.
—Literary Hub, 29 Apr. 2026
In fact, Colbert often jokes about it on air.
—Tom Tapp, Deadline, 28 Apr. 2026
Later, co-star Regina Hall jokes about the John Wick spinoff film Ballerina and the fact that no one saw it.
—Ryan Gajewski, HollywoodReporter, 16 Apr. 2026
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
Noun
Often the jokes are tied to an upcoming holiday or event.
—Arati Menon, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 June 2026
The Tribeca Film Festival has publicly condemned jokes made on the red carpet at the premiere of The Wedding Entertainer (The Tale of Moishe Badhan).
—Bethy Squires, Vulture, 7 June 2026
The jokes can be funny, yet in the light of day, the realities are anything but.
—Steven Andreasen, Twin Cities, 7 June 2026
The local language dubbing of jokes.
—Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 7 June 2026
Sitting in the dark press junket room surrounded by cameras and television screens, the brothers Wayans bounce jokes off each other and finish each other’s sentences like identical twins.
—Datwon Thomas, VIBE.com, 6 June 2026
And even the most disillusioned, above-it-all people feel different when the jokes are on them.
—Donie O'Sullivan, CNN Money, 6 June 2026
The jokes, the pacing, the way everything moved.
—Alex Shoemaker, Parents, 6 June 2026
The concept was already mildly stale in 1983; in 2026, jokes about Nate learning to use a toaster or a GPS come off as well past their expiration date, no matter how earnestly dopey a performance Bargatze gives.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 5 June 2026
Verb
Diego Calva jokes that his mother, Lorena, almost had a heart attack when Brad Pitt called her by her name at the 2023 Golden Globes.
—Carlos Aguilar, Los Angeles Times, 12 May 2026
However, when the team started winning, Hampton jokes that the coach quickly came around.
—Meredith Wilshere, PEOPLE, 9 May 2026
Youssef jokes about a previous time Fox News invoked his name to get a rise out of its audience.
—Michael Schneider, Variety, 8 May 2026
Lindsay jokes that Kyle lost his wedding ring but found a DJ career, which lights the long fuse that ignites the whole evening.
—Brian Moylan, Vulture, 6 May 2026
As an elder, Mellencamp often jokes about how many tours he was fired from in his salad days, usually because the headlining acts (KISS, REO Speedwagon, British hard rock act Rainbow) and their audiences didn’t take to his kiss-off attitude and misfit energy.
—Literary Hub, 29 Apr. 2026
In fact, Colbert often jokes about it on air.
—Tom Tapp, Deadline, 28 Apr. 2026
Later, co-star Regina Hall jokes about the John Wick spinoff film Ballerina and the fact that no one saw it.
—Ryan Gajewski, HollywoodReporter, 16 Apr. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for jokes
Noun
-
There are some laughs that are pretty regular, consistent.—
Lauren Michele Jackson,
New Yorker,
7 June 2026
-
For Marlon Wayans, comedy isn’t simply about the laughs.—
Datwon Thomas,
VIBE.com,
6 June 2026
Noun
-
Its various iterations have managed to hold viewers' attention in the years since (the 2009 sibling version inspired a slew of parodies and fan fiction).—
Rachel Treisman,
NPR,
20 May 2026
-
His most viral videos include skits about dueling Drake and Kendrick Lamar tracks and parodies amplifying more serious lyrical messages in popular party music.—
Lia Russell,
Sacbee.com,
13 May 2026
Noun
-
As Rose’s impoverished yet imperious mother Ruth, Parson’s dry deliveries offer great comic ballast to this ship of fools.—
Frank Rizzo,
Variety,
13 Apr. 2026
-
McGinn sets high standards in training and during games and does not suffer fools.—
Jacob Tanswell,
New York Times,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Comeback kids these 2026 Boston Red Sox are not.—
Gabrielle Starr,
Boston Herald,
23 May 2026
-
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
Verb
-
Season one teases the turmoil ahead, after Dean finds out that Allie has slept with his very own (heated) rival, Hunter (Charlie Evans).—
Kenneal Patterson,
Vanity Fair,
29 May 2026
-
The preview also teases the roles of the supporting cast.—
Nick Romano,
Entertainment Weekly,
22 May 2026
Noun
-
But the actors are reduced to joke machines trapped in a nonsensical nonplot, and while some of those gags yield laughs, a far greater number fall flat.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
4 June 2026
-
Jokes, gags, set pieces, and even whole characters and storylines slowly get chiseled down and weeded out through development, production, and post-production.—
Entertainment Weekly,
Entertainment Weekly,
2 June 2026
Noun
-
What did that film teach you about the challenge of portraying political differences without turning people into caricatures?—
Dana Taylor,
USA Today,
3 June 2026
-
Too often issues are nationalized where people begin to argue with strangers, which can lead people using caricatures to oversimplify complex problems.—
DJ Simmons,
Charlotte Observer,
2 June 2026
Noun
-
As volatility rises, managers do not need to take as large positions to meet return targets, Wrobel said.—
Hugh Leask,
CNBC,
5 June 2026
-
His father was a bombardier-navigator who was among the first American bombers during World War II to land at Soviet airfields to refuel and rearm, enabling the Allies to reach distant German targets.—
Julie K. Brown,
Miami Herald,
4 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Jokes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/jokes. Accessed 9 Jun. 2026.
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