1
as in laugh
something said or done to cause laughter
he was known for his hilarious jokes
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar 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
Tony Maglio, HollywoodReporter, 12 May 2025
Doyle, the longtime showrunner whose credits include Rules of Engagement, Last Man Standing and Better Off Ted, has always maintained the drawing was a joke.
—Lynette Rice, Deadline, 11 May 2025
Dade Hayes, Deadline, 13 May 2025
At her Lifetimes Tour show in Chicago on Monday (May 12), the pop star joked about her public image with the crowd at the United Center.
—Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 13 May 2025
Tommy Tuberville, Newsweek, 7 Mar. 2025
Hoffman is only joking, of course.
—Katie Campione, Deadline, 3 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for joke
Noun
The gimmick of the game show is interesting, though the prize money is a joke.
—Tony Maglio, HollywoodReporter, 12 May 2025
Doyle, the longtime showrunner whose credits include Rules of Engagement, Last Man Standing and Better Off Ted, has always maintained the drawing was a joke.
—Lynette Rice, Deadline, 11 May 2025
Verb
Pitaro, who is one of the internal candidates to succeed Iger when his contract ends in 2026, joked about his task in stepping in front of several dozen reporters Tuesday.
—Dade Hayes, Deadline, 13 May 2025
At her Lifetimes Tour show in Chicago on Monday (May 12), the pop star joked about her public image with the crowd at the United Center.
—Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 13 May 2025
Verb
Fans took to the comment section, joking about the billionaire and the Masked Singer host's baby-making competition.
—Tommy Tuberville, Newsweek, 7 Mar. 2025
Hoffman is only joking, of course.
—Katie Campione, Deadline, 3 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for joke
Recent Examples of Synonyms for joke
Adjective
-
While the jeers towards Xhaka followed the midfielder, Arsenal’s captain at the time, retaliating to sarcastic cheers from the crowd at him being replaced in an October 2019 home match against Crystal Palace, those directed at Eboue were due to his performance.—
Carl Anka,
New York Times,
14 May 2025
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His first half was littered with increasingly ridiculous highlights: a lefty hook over Isaiah Hartenstein, a potpourri of 3s with hands in his face, a sarcastic stare-down after his defender tried taking a charge, followed by a pass to himself off the backboard to simplify the finish.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
13 May 2025
Adjective
-
Team owner Shad Khan looked up with a quizzical expression.—
Michael Silver,
New York Times,
29 Apr. 2025
-
Guthrie’s buddy Pete Seeger (Edward Norton) in visiting him, and Bob walks into the room looking quizzical.—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
10 Dec. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Joke.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/joke. Accessed 27 May. 2025.
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