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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The action flows, the badinage is fast and fun.—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
28 Aug. 2025
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Each bus has a pair of hosts, whose badinage is corny but crowd-pleasing.—
Patricia Marx,
New Yorker,
5 May 2025
Noun
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Rocky’s reply sent cohost Queenz Flip into stitches, which led to everyone sharing an infectious laugh in the room.—
Michael Saponara,
Billboard,
23 Jan. 2026
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Jones is more outgoing, has a silly laugh and is a former first-round pick who wears garish suits on game day.—
Jerry McDonald,
Mercury News,
22 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Prosecutors maintain the messages showed intent, not a joke or gossip.—
Stepheny Price,
FOXNews.com,
22 Jan. 2026
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In one scene, Bing Crosby, who plays Tracy’s ex-husband in the movie, jokes about its size.—
Rachel Garrahan,
Vogue,
22 Jan. 2026
Noun
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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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Today, Morgan responded to some Good Morning Britain banter in which the show’s presenters jokingly suggested Morgan might have tripped after imbibing.—
Greg Evans,
Deadline,
19 Jan. 2026
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There could be playful banter and mutual admiration.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
17 Jan. 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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Incorporating your personality into professional relationships, whether through communication style, humor, creativity, or warmth, helps build rapport and approachability.—
Britney Porter,
Forbes.com,
23 Jan. 2026
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Their film tells the love story of poets Andrea Gibson and Meg Falley and how the couple managed to confront Gibson’s terminal cancer diagnosis with grace, bravery, and humor.—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
22 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Brooks’s years honing his craft writing prickly characters and witty repartee ensures that not all of this scans as mindless escapism.—
Vikram Murthi,
IndieWire,
10 Dec. 2025
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The repartee arrived ahead of the reunion’s kiss-off date in Brazil this weekend.—
Kory Grow,
Rolling Stone,
20 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Raillery.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/raillery. Accessed 28 Jan. 2026.
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