1
as in laugh
something said or done to cause laughter
he was known for his hilarious jokes
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Relevance
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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as in kidding
marked by or expressive of mild or good-natured teasing
grinned and gave him a joking nudge with my elbow
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as in jesting
Related Words
1
as in funning
to make jokes
he was known for his ability to joke about his lack of anything resembling a social life
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2
as in teasing
to make fun of in a good-natured way
oh, don't get offended, I was just joking you
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of joke
Sabrina Weiss, PEOPLE, 5 Nov. 2025
This raises a problem for anyone wanting to tell a joke.
—Big Think, 5 Nov. 2025
Big Think, 5 Nov. 2025
Fixed with a seemingly permanent half-smile — detractors called it a smirk — Cheney joked about his outsize reputation as a stealthy manipulator.
—Calvin Woodward, Fortune, 4 Nov. 2025
Lisa Stardust, PEOPLE, 19 Sep. 2025
When Peanut pulled his second escape act, his owners knew where to look and handled Peanut's disappearance in a joking manner.
—Michael Nied, People.com, 2 Sep. 2025
Dave Smith, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2025
Altman wasn't joking about the price of politeness.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 21 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for joke
Noun
Plus, under the watchful eyes of veteran host Casey Wilson and newbie Andrew Rannells, the jokes never stop in the tent, as seen in another clip.
—Sabrina Weiss, PEOPLE, 5 Nov. 2025
This raises a problem for anyone wanting to tell a joke.
—Big Think, 5 Nov. 2025
Verb
What someone jokes about reflects their inner values and unseen workings.
—Big Think, 5 Nov. 2025
Fixed with a seemingly permanent half-smile — detractors called it a smirk — Cheney joked about his outsize reputation as a stealthy manipulator.
—Calvin Woodward, Fortune, 4 Nov. 2025
Noun
Only an Aries, like Lily, can take Barney’s jabs in a joking way.
—Lisa Stardust, PEOPLE, 19 Sep. 2025
When Peanut pulled his second escape act, his owners knew where to look and handled Peanut's disappearance in a joking manner.
—Michael Nied, People.com, 2 Sep. 2025
Verb
Mackey reached out to Warren Buffett, who declined, joking about the poor brand fit between his Dairy Queen ownership and his junk food preferences.
—Dave Smith, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2025
Altman wasn't joking about the price of politeness.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 21 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for joke
Recent Examples of Synonyms for joke
Adjective
-
The Marriage Story star first appeared as a child in an uncredited role in the Scorsese film — Ladd's first taste of major acclaim as the sarcastic waitress Flo.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
3 Nov. 2025
-
The kicking game was so bad that Freeman sounded like Brian Kelly at his sarcastic best when asked about Noah Burnette, Erik Schmidt and Marcello Diomede combining to miss two extra points and one field goal.—
Pete Sampson,
New York Times,
2 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
To get a sense of his whole deal, look no further than the half-mocking, half-earnest title of his latest album, Country!—
Jonathan Bernstein,
Rolling Stone,
23 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Aikman appeared to be a bit quizzical.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
29 Oct. 2025
-
In a YouTube video, the robot’s head glances around with a quizzical expression and blinks in a way that is eerily lifelike.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
22 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Joke.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/joke. Accessed 16 Dec. 2025.
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