as in joking
marked by or expressive of mild or good-natured teasing
a joshing response to my earnest question
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
as in joke
good-natured teasing or exchanging of clever remarks
for all his joshing, he can be very serious when he needs to be
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in kidding
to make fun of in a good-natured way
don't get all hot and bothered! I'm just joshing you
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in jesting
to make jokes
a very outgoing man who joshes with everyone he meets
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of joshing
H. Alan Scott, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 Aug. 2025
Demetrios Matheou, HollywoodReporter, 22 Nov. 2025
Cheryl — who jumped in the mosh pit briefly at the first party — hung out in the back, sitting on her walker and gently joshing Erika’s young son for wearing earplugs while a singer screamed into the microphone.
—Ariane Lange, Sacbee.com, 13 Nov. 2025
Noun
The humorous joshing and teasing that came out of their initial love just gets worse and worse.
—H. Alan Scott, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 Aug. 2025
Verb
Cranston and Essiedu convey a father-son bond of unusual closeness — hugging, play-fighting, joshing; but this physical proximity will be repeated at the end of the play to devastatingly different effect.
—Demetrios Matheou, HollywoodReporter, 22 Nov. 2025
Cheryl — who jumped in the mosh pit briefly at the first party — hung out in the back, sitting on her walker and gently joshing Erika’s young son for wearing earplugs while a singer screamed into the microphone.
—Ariane Lange, Sacbee.com, 13 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for joshing
Noun
-
Episodes are a blend of political analysis, jokes that test the boundaries of good taste, and interviews with high-profile guests.—
Aidan McLaughlin,
Vanity Fair,
19 Feb. 2026
-
General catastrophizing Some people are naturally prone to anxiety and overthinking everything—like a work typo, or a throwaway joke that now feels catastrophic.—
Jenna Ryu,
SELF,
19 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
There are also cool maps on the local prevalence of certain health conditions, from arthritis and asthma to cancer and high cholesterol to diabetes and depression to — not kidding here — where people have lost all their teeth.—
Teri Sforza,
Oc Register,
11 Feb. 2026
-
Literally toxic lesbians — kidding.—
Fran Hoepfner,
Vulture,
1 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
Obama dismissed those rumors, joking that if aliens existed and were being concealed, even the president was not in on it.—
Adisa Hargett-Robinson,
The Washington Examiner,
15 Feb. 2026
-
The night had begun with Evangelos Marinakis laughing and joking on the touchline with injured defender Murillo.—
Paul Taylor,
New York Times,
12 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Fifteen years later, Black is having the last laugh.—
Tribune News Service,
Baltimore Sun,
13 Feb. 2026
-
Seekers of Infinite Love balances big laughs with big feelings, and the cast delivers in a way that makes the film both distinctive and relatable.—
Andreas Wiseman,
Deadline,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Humphrey's work consists of reviewing thousands of messages and tags, seeking permission from original video creators and balancing humor with teasing.—
Kate Perez,
USA Today,
14 Feb. 2026
-
Netflix released a trailer on Friday teasing what’s to come from the remaining four episodes, which are set to drop on February 26.—
Katie Campione,
Deadline,
13 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The 1% Club has leant heavily on comedian hosts around the world, with the likes of Mack, McHale and Jefferies bringing wit and banter to proceedings, although Connock stressed that new territories can think beyond comics when considering hosts.—
Max Goldbart,
Deadline,
18 Feb. 2026
-
The friendly banter quickly made headlines, with many wondering about the joke's legitimacy.—
Marina Johnson,
Louisville Courier Journal,
16 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Language There’s some crude language, jesting, and mature comedic themes, but but nothing the modern tween or teen hasn’t seen or heard before.—
Lynnette Nicholas,
Parents,
8 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
The action flows, the badinage is fast and fun.—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
28 Aug. 2025
-
Each bus has a pair of hosts, whose badinage is corny but crowd-pleasing.—
Patricia Marx,
New Yorker,
5 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Joshing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/joshing. Accessed 20 Feb. 2026.
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