as in joke
something said or done to cause laughter
a close-knit family constantly exchanging lighthearted joshes at the dinner table
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as in to joke
to make jokes
a very outgoing man who joshes with everyone he meets
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Recent Examples of josh
Jessica Kiang, Variety, 27 May 2025
See which companies are just joshing on social media — and which one has a real deal for you!
—Brendan Le, People.com, 1 Apr. 2025
The family joshing and loving is great fun here; both Liss and Montana are terrific, live-wire young performers, thanks surely in part to Alex Mallory’s direction, and Rifai has given them a banquet of vibrant lines.
—Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 12 Feb. 2025
Hudson’s accordion seems to come strolling in from a sidewalk serenade to meet Helm’s amused, exasperated vocal, joshing him along with countermelodies, trills and wheezily encouraging chords.
—Jon Pareles, New York Times, 24 Jan. 2025
Elwood experiences some of the usual rigors of prison and reform school: the bullying, the joshing around, the discipline, the abuse.
—K. Austin Collins, The Atlantic, 13 Dec. 2024
Bale, speaking in a bland, hollow voice that has the slightest hint of frat-boy joshing, delivers a piece of polished, satiric archness that goes well beyond the obvious allegorical gag (capitalism = murder) into ... what, exactly?
—Tom Gliatto, Peoplemag, 9 Mar. 2024
The movie’s best moments are the ones in which Mary and Paul camp out in front of the TV, drinking whiskey and joshing each other well into the wee hours.
—Justin Chang, Los Angeles Times, 26 Oct. 2023
For over four decades, since taking over from Chuck Woolery, Sajak has been at that spot, joshing with Vanna White, heaving the wheel on final spins, wincing at Bankrupts and tethering exuberant winners.
—James Poniewozik, New York Times, 13 June 2023
Verb
Anatole is a painter, an artform which photographer Lucien good-naturedly joshes him will soon be obsolete.
—Jessica Kiang, Variety, 27 May 2025
See which companies are just joshing on social media — and which one has a real deal for you!
—Brendan Le, People.com, 1 Apr. 2025
The family joshing and loving is great fun here; both Liss and Montana are terrific, live-wire young performers, thanks surely in part to Alex Mallory’s direction, and Rifai has given them a banquet of vibrant lines.
—Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 12 Feb. 2025
Hudson’s accordion seems to come strolling in from a sidewalk serenade to meet Helm’s amused, exasperated vocal, joshing him along with countermelodies, trills and wheezily encouraging chords.
—Jon Pareles, New York Times, 24 Jan. 2025
Elwood experiences some of the usual rigors of prison and reform school: the bullying, the joshing around, the discipline, the abuse.
—K. Austin Collins, The Atlantic, 13 Dec. 2024
Bale, speaking in a bland, hollow voice that has the slightest hint of frat-boy joshing, delivers a piece of polished, satiric archness that goes well beyond the obvious allegorical gag (capitalism = murder) into ... what, exactly?
—Tom Gliatto, Peoplemag, 9 Mar. 2024
The movie’s best moments are the ones in which Mary and Paul camp out in front of the TV, drinking whiskey and joshing each other well into the wee hours.
—Justin Chang, Los Angeles Times, 26 Oct. 2023
For over four decades, since taking over from Chuck Woolery, Sajak has been at that spot, joshing with Vanna White, heaving the wheel on final spins, wincing at Bankrupts and tethering exuberant winners.
—James Poniewozik, New York Times, 13 June 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for josh
Noun
-
She was raised in a society—a West Indian society—that did not put much of a premium on women’s bodies, where any kind of intimacy was a joke.—
Hilton Als,
New Yorker,
30 June 2025
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And yet the world is too driven by algorithms, too fragmented in its tastes, to ever be on the same page again and get the same jokes.—
Christopher Borrelli,
Chicago Tribune,
30 June 2025
Verb
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There may be a welcome change in the global balance of power, as China and Russia recognize that the United States is not kidding.—
Wesley Alexander Hill,
Forbes.com,
1 July 2025
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But internally, no one is kidding themselves or trying to sugarcoat the results.—
Pamela McClintock,
HollywoodReporter,
24 June 2025
Noun
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And in a company which faithfully recreates stiff 18th-century acting conventions, McCormack’s unapologetically sassy Semira was a welcome change of pace, drawing the afternoon’s biggest laughs.—
Hannah Edgar,
Chicago Tribune,
28 June 2025
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Friday’s Resident Alien had it all: uproarious laughs, romance, heartbreak and a whole lot of vomit.—
Nick Caruso,
TVLine,
28 June 2025
Verb
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Affectionately, the 35-year-old pop star is not known for setting or chasing trends, instead using fashion to tease new musical eras or evoke a sense of girl-next-door relatability.—
Emily Tannenbaum,
Glamour,
29 June 2025
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The historic broadcast network began teasing the multiple Emmy winner’s birthday as early as June 13.—
Ronda Racha Penrice,
HollywoodReporter,
28 June 2025
Noun
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Prices of stocks and bonds, along with long-term interest rates, have oscillated up and down in response to the daily verbal sallies from the White House.—
Edward Lotterman,
Twin Cities,
27 Apr. 2025
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The most comprehensive sally, of course, is the administration’s drastic and abrupt cut in funding by the National Institutes of Health.—
Michael Hiltzik,
Los Angeles Times,
13 Feb. 2025
Noun
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More than 500 of them, in fact, from native whitetail deer to yaks, scimitar oryx, and water buffalo.—
Abby Montanez,
Robb Report,
28 Apr. 2025
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Zookeepers welcomed a new yak and now the baby and mama are bonding, Alaska officials said.—
Paloma Chavez,
Sacbee.com,
25 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Josh.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/josh. Accessed 10 Jul. 2025.
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