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
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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
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Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of rib
Marni Rose McFall, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Sep. 2025
The findings contained fossils of vertebrae, ribs, humerus, ulna, fibula and foot bones.
—Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 2 Sep. 2025
Randall Colburn, EW.com, 12 Aug. 2025
The mood of the scene works like a pendulum as the women go from sisterly ribbing to poking each other’s deepest inner wounds and back again.
—Megan Vick, Variety, 11 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rib
Noun
Christopher's barbecue had pork ribs with a dry rub, baked beans, and potato salad.
—Marni Rose McFall, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Sep. 2025
The findings contained fossils of vertebrae, ribs, humerus, ulna, fibula and foot bones.
—Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 2 Sep. 2025
Verb
In July, McTavish crashed the panel for Outlander: Blood of My Blood at the San Diego Comic-Con to rib Sam Retford, who plays a younger Dougal on the prequel series.
—Randall Colburn, EW.com, 12 Aug. 2025
The mood of the scene works like a pendulum as the women go from sisterly ribbing to poking each other’s deepest inner wounds and back again.
—Megan Vick, Variety, 11 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rib
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rib
Noun
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Young Frankenstein is a parody of the horror genre, drawing inspiration from Mary Shelley’s 1818 novel, Frankenstein.—
Rosy Cordero,
Deadline,
2 Sep. 2025
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André settles in for a minute, riffing with O’Brien about his own series, a parody of late-night talk shows, which had recently premièred on Adult Swim.—
Chris Almeida,
New Yorker,
31 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Related Stories Farrelly thinks that kind of oppressive political correctness is fading and that audiences are eager to see movies that eviscerate good taste in order to land a joke again.—
Brent Lang,
Variety,
5 Sep. 2025
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What started as a joke soon turned into a tourism draw that put Lajitas on the map.—
Tiffani Jackson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
5 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Trump teased this announcement during his Oval Office event Tuesday afternoon.—
Hannah Demissie,
ABC News,
2 Sep. 2025
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The radio host was set to return to his SiriusXM show this morning, after nearly a month of teasing a big reveal surrounding rumors that his show would be canceled.—
Jodi Guglielmi,
Rolling Stone,
2 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Other early influences included a stint assisting Ken Shapiro, director of 1974’s pre-SNL sketch spoof The Groove Tube.—
Scott Roxborough,
HollywoodReporter,
27 Aug. 2025
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Valcq's musical, a spoof of 1950s science-fiction movies, was first staged at the Skylight, had a Milwaukee setting and was filled with Milwaukee references.—
Jim Higgins,
jsonline.com,
20 Aug. 2025
Noun
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However, if you're pressed for time, check out the shorts Mike's New Car (2001) and Party Central (2014) for some quick laughs.—
Sydni Ellis,
PEOPLE,
7 Sep. 2025
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Her voice has been sharp, sometimes saucy, and could be silken — then let out a bell-ringing laugh.—
Scott Simon,
NPR,
6 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Pat Kelsey wasn't kidding about wanting the smoke.—
Leo Bertucci,
The Courier-Journal,
2 Sep. 2025
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In 2019, Lebanese depositors discovered that their banking system had, in effect, just been kidding about those savings accounts.—
Graeme Wood,
The Atlantic,
2 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Shot on a real-life lavish Utah estate, Mountainhead is another modern satire from Succession creator Jesse Armstrong — who reunited with that HBO drama’s composer Nicholas Britell for more unforgettable music.—
Jack Smart,
PEOPLE,
7 Sep. 2025
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Comedian John Early’s directorial debut, ostensibly a pastiche of basic-cable TV movies, is not a parody, or a satire, or even a comedy.—
Sam Bodrojan,
IndieWire,
7 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Start by roasting the bones at 400ºF for about an hour in the oven or 15-20 minutes in an air fryer.—
Cody Godwin,
USA Today,
2 Sep. 2025
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Each agave plant takes at least seven years to mature and is farmed without pesticides or chemicals before being roasted, fermented, and distilled in copper stills.—
Emily Price,
Forbes.com,
1 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Rib.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rib. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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