rib 1 of 2

noun

Definition of ribnext
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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rib

2 of 2

verb

as in to tease
to make fun of in a good-natured way ribbed him a bit about fumbling such an easy play

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of rib
Noun
The lawsuit alleges the McRib sandwiches don't contain any pork rib meat and are made from lower-grade pork products instead. — ABC News, 2 Nov. 2026 The judge also said ads highlighting the meat’s rib-like shape could support a claim of intent to defraud, though further proof was needed. — Reuters, NBC news, 31 Oct. 2026
Verb
Fellow Knicks starters Karl-Anthony Towns, Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby, and Josh Hart are called on from the audience for some light ribbing, then join Brunson on the stage. — Andy Hoglund, Entertainment Weekly, 27 Sep. 2026 Tons of fall styles are included in the sale, such as ribbed knit and Herringbone dresses made for work days, weekends, and crisp weather. — Nicol Natale, PEOPLE, 25 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for rib
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rib
  1. parody
  2. joke
  3. tease
  4. spoof
  5. laugh
  6. kid
  7. satire
  8. joking
Noun
  • And my parody of Ronald Reagan is now in the White House, right?
    — John Bleasdale, Variety, 31 Oct. 2026
  • The album’s experimental bent is also what keeps the music from slipping into parody or, even worse, po-faced sincerity.
    — Sadie Sartini Garner, Pitchfork, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of parody
Noun
  • The chain, which has over 200 locations in the United States, was recently caught in a culture war against its will, sparked by a joke from former President Barack Obama on its aesthetic.
    — Ramishah Maruf, CNN Money, 1 Nov. 2026
  • Later on during Weekend Update, Michael Che made a joke about Israel that made Jost jokingly grimace.
    — Marlow Stern, Variety, 1 Nov. 2026
Definition of joke
Verb
  • The show has been rumored for a while, to the point at which Leavitt actually made a supercut of all the online chatter to tease the official announcement.
    — Bethy Squires, Vulture, 4 Nov. 2026
  • In September, while teasing what would become vSphere Express, Paul Turner, VCF’s chief product officer, told The Register that Broadcom issued sales incentives that pushed its sales team to sell VCF.
    — Scharon Harding, ArsTechnica, 4 Nov. 2026
Definition of tease
Noun
  • The spoof of early Hollywood’s swashbuckling action-adventure movies is one of the comedy titan’s most quotable films, thanks in large part to the timing of the cast.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 29 Oct. 2026
  • The film draws on 1980s supernatural comedies, including Back to the Future, Ghostbusters and The Addams Family, alongside classic monster movies and horror spoofs.
    — Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of spoof
Noun
  • What really sets Black Doves apart, though, are its lovable characters and its beguiling mix of laughs and tears, which flirt with existential despair without ever fully tipping into it.
    — Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 5 Nov. 2026
  • The two also shared a laugh over Lewis’ first impressions of the twins.
    — Angelique Brenes, PEOPLE, 4 Nov. 2026
Definition of laugh
Verb
  • But kidding aside, AI used in the right way can make people smarter about their health, more so than most realize.
    — Amanda Gerut, Fortune, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Pursuing big goals while parenting shows kids the value of hard work and resilience.
    — Lauren Brown West-Rosenthal, Parents, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of kid
Noun
  • To use satire to confirm does not bring with it dramatic excitement and risks a certain smugness of point of view.
    — Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 2 Nov. 2026
  • Even the most gifted practitioner of satire — looking at my shelf full of Carl Hiassen novels — couldn’t make up this stuff.
    — Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of satire
Noun
  • As the audience applauded, Stewart launched into his joking eulogy.
    — Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Oct. 2026
  • Russell was mentioned in that speech, but in a joking way, playing off of how frequent Oscars director Glenn Weiss, who won for his role helming the 2018 Academy Awards telecast, had used his speech to propose to his then-girlfriend.
    — Hilary Lewis, HollywoodReporter, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of joking

Browse Nearby Words

riatas
rib
ribald
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Cite this Entry

“Rib.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rib. Accessed 7 Nov. 2026.

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Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about rib

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