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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in kidding
marked by or expressive of mild or good-natured teasing
grinned and gave him a joking nudge with my elbow
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in teasing
to make fun of in a good-natured way
oh, don't get offended, I was just joking you
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of joke
Quispe López, Them., 30 Oct. 2025
Reddit Reacts The post struck a nerve with many Redditors, unleashing jokes, jabs and empathy.
—Lydia Patrick, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Oct. 2025
Dave Smith, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2025
Before Wednesday’s game, Schneider joked that the Canucks eventually just named him the starter in road games versus the Wild.
—Jess Myers, Twin Cities, 23 Oct. 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
Chappelle had previously faced backlash for making dehumanizing jokes about trans people, many of which regurgitate harmful stereotypes that frame trans women as predators, the kind of rhetoric that contributes to violence toward trans femmes of color.
—Quispe López, Them., 30 Oct. 2025
Reddit Reacts The post struck a nerve with many Redditors, unleashing jokes, jabs and empathy.
—Lydia Patrick, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Oct. 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
Before Wednesday’s game, Schneider joked that the Canucks eventually just named him the starter in road games versus the Wild.
—Jess Myers, Twin Cities, 23 Oct. 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 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
-
Reactions to the freestyle depended on whether or not you were tuned into its sarcastic frequency.—
Jeff Ihaza,
Rolling Stone,
30 Oct. 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 8 Nov. 2025.
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