as in badinage
good-natured teasing or exchanging of clever remarks
Luke had to put up with a lot of raillery from his sister the first time he asked a girl for a date
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Recent Examples of raillery
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, 14 Oct. 2020
Some may feel, in this Trumpus Caesar summer, that such raillery, let alone the underlying idea of trying to understand why Americans have shot presidents, is an untoward or trite provocation.
—Jesse Green, New York Times, 13 July 2017
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, 14 Oct. 2020
Some may feel, in this Trumpus Caesar summer, that such raillery, let alone the underlying idea of trying to understand why Americans have shot presidents, is an untoward or trite provocation.
—Jesse Green, New York Times, 13 July 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for raillery
Noun
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Left on their own, boisterous badinage between old school British thespian Shaw and giggly, hyper-ventilating wannabe movie star Dreyfuss has taken hold.—
Christopher Smith,
Oc Register,
10 Mar. 2026
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The action flows, the badinage is fast and fun.—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
28 Aug. 2025
Noun
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What follows is a crescendo of bloody madness, including a gruesome toenail cutting scene that shouldn’t be viewed while eating, a grandma being eaten alive by a pack of coyotes and a truly bonkers wake that erupts into laugh-out-loud violence thanks to a pair of dentures.—
Alex Ritman,
Variety,
17 Apr. 2026
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With sparse amounts of slapstick, this staging isn’t the most physical of farces, though Lutz and Enriquez in particular strike some laugh-out-loud poses.—
Emily McClanathan,
Chicago Tribune,
17 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The jaw-dropping transformations prompted a hilarious running joke in the comments section from viewers seeking glow-ups of their own.—
Catherine Santino,
PEOPLE,
16 Apr. 2026
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For too long, Charlotte has been a running joke of a pro sports city.—
Scott Fowler,
Charlotte Observer,
16 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
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
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Any amount of singing or jesting will be heard by all.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
24 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Just relax, have a good time, let the fun banter happen.—
Rod Stafford Hagwood,
Sun Sentinel,
14 Apr. 2026
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Having set Coel’s grudge-nurturing immovable object and Hathaway’s in-crisis irresistible force on a collision course, the film proceeds to let the former batter the latter with a mix of acidic banter, passive-aggressive comments masked as curiosity, and compli-sults that cut bone.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
14 Apr. 2026
Noun
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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
Noun
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Instead there is much more Raimi-esque bleak humor, defenestration, a ton of bugs, and a frustrating plethora of clichés.—
Gregory Nussen,
Deadline,
16 Apr. 2026
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One representative, Gwen Moore of Wisconsin, used humor to make that happen.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
16 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Mostly, the production relies on verbal repartee and situational humor, such as the cringeworthy offstage liaison between Margot and Victor in the first act.—
Emily McClanathan,
Chicago Tribune,
17 Apr. 2026
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What is clear is their intense bond, the brash intimacy of people addicted to repartee and raised by liars.—
Emily Nussbaum,
New Yorker,
16 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Raillery.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/raillery. Accessed 21 Apr. 2026.
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