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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
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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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Scott used comedy to grease the narrative wheels; here, the laughs tend to gum up the works.—
Hannah Jocelyn,
New Yorker,
19 Mar. 2026
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The quick and confident response sparked a handful of laughs from those who have covered Lagrange’s emergence this spring.—
Gary Phillips,
New York Daily News,
18 Mar. 2026
Noun
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But over the course of nine innings and a few beers, there is plenty of time to catch up, joke around, give each other a hard time.—
Bill Goodykoontz,
AZCentral.com,
26 Mar. 2026
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Last year, Carr warned broadcast stations after Kimmel made a joke about the response on the right to the assassination of Charlie Kirk.—
Ted Johnson,
Deadline,
26 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Any amount of singing or jesting will be heard by all.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
24 Mar. 2026
-
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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Both programs are highly educational amid the humor and banter.—
Christopher Arnott,
Hartford Courant,
21 Mar. 2026
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Our banter was fun, constant and warm.—
Dawn Lerman,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Mar. 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
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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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Gosling seems like a strong fit given his knack for blending self-deprecating and sometimes oddball humor with some serious dramatic chops.—
Brian Welk,
IndieWire,
26 Mar. 2026
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The Kennedy Center has presented the award since 1998 as a way to recognize those who have made significant contributions to humor and commentary in the United States.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
26 Mar. 2026
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
Cite this Entry
“Raillery.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/raillery. Accessed 27 Mar. 2026.
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