1
as in parody
a work that imitates and exaggerates another work for comic effect
the movie is a rib of the "dramatic love story" that was so popular in the 1950s
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in joke
something said or done to cause laughter
began to lose his sense of humor after being the butt of his friends' ribs once too often
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of rib
Brock Keeling, Oc Register, 13 May 2026
Same for Austin Reaves and a muscle along his ribs.
—Dan Woike, New York Times, 12 May 2026
Amanda Eyre Ward, Travel + Leisure, 13 Apr. 2026
In real life, Miller takes the ribbing well, happy to be his friend’s fall guy for the purposes of narrative structure.
—Jack Crosbie, Rolling Stone, 7 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for rib
Noun
The menu offers breakfast, brunch, lunch and dinner options, including lobster omelet, prime rib dip, clam chowder, fish and chips and breakfast burritos.
—Brock Keeling, Oc Register, 13 May 2026
Same for Austin Reaves and a muscle along his ribs.
—Dan Woike, New York Times, 12 May 2026
Verb
For a decadent splurge, try this Poetry cashmere ribbed top instead in ivory.
—Amanda Eyre Ward, Travel + Leisure, 13 Apr. 2026
In real life, Miller takes the ribbing well, happy to be his friend’s fall guy for the purposes of narrative structure.
—Jack Crosbie, Rolling Stone, 7 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for rib
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rib
Noun
-
Both a parody of action films and a legitimately great action film on its own terms, this is one of the best genre hybrids of the aughts.—
Brian Tallerico,
Vulture,
11 May 2026
-
The film from Picturehouse has over 85K social followers on its parody Instagram account (@bboymalone212).—
Jill Goldsmith,
Deadline,
10 May 2026
Noun
-
Just ask Harris, whose handling of the border under Biden became a running joke in politics.—
Burgess Everett,
semafor.com,
14 May 2026
-
Now, if there’s some people telling these jokes at a church service, that would be one thing.—
Théoden Janes,
Charlotte Observer,
14 May 2026
Verb
-
All the thespian’s chemistry felt less like castmates promoting a production and more like siblings teasing one another out of deep affection.—
Clayton Davis,
Variety,
18 May 2026
-
Rumors are flying that Google will unveil or tease its Gemini 4 AI model — and that's a big deal because the introduction of Gemini 3 in November was a huge success and sent shares rallying .—
Zev Fima,Kevin Stankiewicz,
CNBC,
17 May 2026
Noun
-
There would be more scripted and carefully choreographed moments in his TV spots for Calvin Klein jeans and Obsession, collaborations with the writer Doon Arbus (daughter of Diane and Allan Arbus) that took chances (and which, for some viewers, are inseparable from memorable spoofs on SNL).—
Sheri Linden,
HollywoodReporter,
17 May 2026
-
In the spoof of gentle, soft, focused crowd pleasers, SNL’s Ashley Padilla channeled the kind of maternal figure she’s honed over two seasons on the show—culturally out of touch, relentlessly cheerful, and covered in statement accessories.—
Erik Adams,
The Atlantic,
10 May 2026
Noun
-
But when the Phillies remember the good times — the champagne toasts, the boisterous October clubhouses, the laughs shared on the field in the clubhouse — Suarez will always be there.—
Charlotte Varnes,
New York Times,
15 May 2026
-
Hammond spent a year at the Comedy Cellar trying to crack Al Gore and never got a laugh.—
Seth Abramovitch,
HollywoodReporter,
15 May 2026
Verb
-
And, don’t kid yourself, the Thunder aren’t going anywhere for a long, long time.—
Mike Bianchi,
The Orlando Sentinel,
14 May 2026
-
Gosling, of course, was kidding.—
Jake Coyle,
Fortune,
6 May 2026
Noun
-
Expect delights in French humor and satire, drawing inspiration from the beloved French comic series Astérix and its ancient Western European setting.—
Zachary Laks,
Travel + Leisure,
15 May 2026
-
The satire was fictitious and its intent only humorous.—
Greg Evans,
Deadline,
14 May 2026
Noun
-
The president has long bristled at the otherwise customary joking at his expense by celebrity comedians.—
Dennis Romero,
NBC news,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Here opposites — classy and brassy — are distractions, with odd-couple joking substituting for something more substantial.—
Frank Rizzo,
Variety,
23 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Rib.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rib. Accessed 18 May. 2026.
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