as in joke
good-natured teasing or exchanging of clever remarks
their tongue-in-cheek persiflage is sometimes mistaken for an exchange of insults by people who don't know them
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of persiflage
None of this will keep Republicans and conservatives from attacking the reconciliation bill with smoke, mirrors and persiflage.
—
Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 10 Aug. 2022
As Nixon’s political strategist, Kevin Phillips, told the New York Times in 1970:
All the talk about Republicans making inroads into the Negro vote is persiflage.
—Jane Coaston, Vox, 12 Oct. 2018
Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 10 Aug. 2022
As Nixon’s political strategist, Kevin Phillips, told the New York Times in 1970:
All the talk about Republicans making inroads into the Negro vote is persiflage.
—Jane Coaston, Vox, 12 Oct. 2018
Recent Examples of Synonyms for persiflage
Noun
-
Its massive size even became the subject of a joke in the film High Society, in which the actress chose to wear her real-life ring instead of a prop one.—
Bailey Bujnosek,
InStyle,
12 Mar. 2026
-
My sister got these jokes and these hands.—
Preezy Brown,
VIBE.com,
12 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
With time, their caustic raillery transforms into sincere attachment.—
Charlie Tyson,
The Atlantic,
13 May 2021
-
French’s evocation of place, a rural way of life and overall creepiness are superb, as is the dialogue, a festival of Irish raillery and repartee.—
Washington Post,
Washington Post,
14 Oct. 2020
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
Noun
-
Justin, the believer, is instantly alarmed by how these eerie tapes escalate from cute banter to ghostly crying babies and backward incantations.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Mar. 2026
-
Zings, barbs, and japes fly between the two, but the banter soon gives way to grand action set pieces.—
Entertainment Weekly,
Entertainment Weekly,
10 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
And yes, because we are blessed with famous weather, whole neighborhoods and districts can risk spilling out into the sidewalks, where laughs get louder, music gets blasted and the street fashion becomes a runway.—
Elisa Wouk Almino
Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
13 Mar. 2026
-
Roger, in chains, talks to his captor like an old peer as the two laugh about battles of old, and Roger asks Garp for a favor before dying.—
Rafael Motamayor,
Vulture,
12 Mar. 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
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With so much experience playing Head, Claassen is easily able to improvise in the moment answering random questions, cracking jokes and exchanging repartee with audience members, like the unfortunate man in row B who dared to show up at the theater on Friday in a casual sweatshirt.—
Pam Kragen,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
21 Feb. 2026
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Instead of witty repartee or slick delivery, expect genuineness, a generosity of spirit, and a feeling of being nurtured and taken care of.—
Megan Spurrell,
Condé Nast Traveler,
10 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Ziegler’s humor and sympathy for her characters—including Creon, who desperately wants to do right by everyone—saves the conflict between individual and state from heavy-handedness.—
Dan Stahl,
New Yorker,
13 Mar. 2026
-
Excerpts from the audiocassettes of Long’s interviews are a strong element of Evans’ doc, and playful music cues underscore the humor and passion that course through this particularly American saga, along with a whole lot of pain.—
Sheri Linden,
HollywoodReporter,
12 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Persiflage.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/persiflage. Accessed 15 Mar. 2026.
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