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
Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 3 June 2026
That s--- is funny and there should be jokes for that hairstyle.
—Ilana Kaplan, PEOPLE, 3 June 2026
Jared Kaufman, Twin Cities, 31 May 2026
Finnish diver Mikko Paasi, a veteran of the 2018 Thai rescue, said that the rescue team had joked during the operation that if the pumping worked well enough, the divers might not be needed.
—Kocha Olarn, CNN Money, 30 May 2026
Mario Cortegana, New York Times, 20 Mar. 2026
Lindsay says that Jesse was serious about asking, but that the make-out would be a joking make-out.
—Brian Moylan, Vulture, 4 Mar. 2026
Glenn Garner, Deadline, 15 May 2026
Clark's comment prompted joking responses on social media.
—Jackson Thompson Outkick, FOXNews.com, 1 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for joke
Noun
Obviousness is this film’s handicap — and the main joke.
—Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 3 June 2026
That s--- is funny and there should be jokes for that hairstyle.
—Ilana Kaplan, PEOPLE, 3 June 2026
Verb
Sigmund, the artistic director of Stillwater’s Zephyr Theatre, joked good-naturedly.
—Jared Kaufman, Twin Cities, 31 May 2026
Finnish diver Mikko Paasi, a veteran of the 2018 Thai rescue, said that the rescue team had joked during the operation that if the pumping worked well enough, the divers might not be needed.
—Kocha Olarn, CNN Money, 30 May 2026
Noun
There was none of the usual laughing and joking.
—Mario Cortegana, New York Times, 20 Mar. 2026
Lindsay says that Jesse was serious about asking, but that the make-out would be a joking make-out.
—Brian Moylan, Vulture, 4 Mar. 2026
Verb
The DaniMation Entertainment founder also responded to Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson using the word twice while joking about NBA’s Draymond Green during Netflix’s The Roast of Kevin Hart.
—Glenn Garner, Deadline, 15 May 2026
Clark's comment prompted joking responses on social media.
—Jackson Thompson Outkick, FOXNews.com, 1 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for joke
Recent Examples of Synonyms for joke
Noun
-
The quest to find the better joke, the stronger laugh—that’s reason enough to keep on living.—
Michael Schulman,
New Yorker,
29 May 2026
-
These people had huge laughs Thursday morning over their airport Bloody Marys after realizing their words were treated as if serious.—
Joe Rexrode,
New York Times,
29 May 2026
Noun
-
The ebullient parody’s obvious antecedent is Airplane!—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
1 June 2026
-
Federal law protects certain uses of a celebrity’s image and likeness in cases involving parody, criticism, commentary and news reporting.—
Daryl Lim,
Fortune,
30 May 2026
Noun
-
Predicting the future is a fool’s game.—
James Horncastle,
New York Times,
2 June 2026
-
But don't let his calm demeanor fool you.—
Joelle Goldstein,
USA Today,
1 June 2026
Verb
-
In a new interview with People, Cipriano teased what viewers can expect of the Logan and Grace storyline.—
Natalie Oganesyan,
Deadline,
31 May 2026
-
The Beats brand is no stranger to using high-profile sports stars to tease new releases.—
Will McCurdy,
PC Magazine,
31 May 2026
Noun
-
Hudson showed some subtle support for the jesting knocks to her boyfriend by reposting a clip of his final joke shared on Fox News' official X page.—
Zoey Lyttle,
PEOPLE,
18 May 2026
-
No matter what happened, Dunham could not seem to help posting through it, her public persona one of infinite jesting confession.—
Madeline Leung Coleman,
Vulture,
14 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Zucker watched the video and thought Harper — more known for his brush with greatness as a two-time NL MVP — was kidding.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
28 May 2026
-
Gilpin isn’t kidding about the haunting.—
Hunter Ingram,
Variety,
27 May 2026
Verb
-
Off Campus is playing the long game by also teasing the fourth installment in Kennedy’s series, The Goal.—
Kenneal Patterson,
Vanity Fair,
29 May 2026
-
Netflix’s The Boroughs ends with a twist, teasing the future of the series and hinting at the true origin of Mother.—
Dani Di Placido,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2026
Noun
-
Sometimes a playful comment, an unexpected reply or a joking callout between brands takes on a life of its own online.—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes.com,
20 May 2026
-
Despite that underlying tension, kids play on the street outside while the large family has a dynamic like any other — noisily squabbling, joking, or in the case of the matriarchal grandmother, Mariam (Hiam Abbass), preparing a meal in a kitchen plagued by constant utility outages.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
15 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Joke.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/joke. Accessed 8 Jun. 2026.
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