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
Sweet, awkward Hulda (Isolde Ardies) is often the target of her ribbing.
—Judy Berman, Time, 8 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
Sweet, awkward Hulda (Isolde Ardies) is often the target of her ribbing.
—Judy Berman, Time, 8 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for rib
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rib
Noun
-
One posted a video parody of the 2004 Downfall film, portraying Bass as Hitler.—
National Correspondent,
Los Angeles Times,
18 May 2026
-
Young Frankenstein, a loving parody of 1930s monster movies, also starred Marty Feldman, Cloris Leachman, Teri Garr, Peter Boyle, Madeline Kahn and Kenneth Mars.—
Rick Porter,
HollywoodReporter,
18 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
-
The pitch-black vacuum of space laughs.—
Sophie Brookover,
Vulture,
22 May 2026
-
Just another unfunny piece of political propaganda devoid of any laughs whatsoever.—
Jon Root OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
22 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
-
Still, this season feels marked by emotion, satire, and, at times, a simple celebration of life itself.—
Tiana Randall,
Forbes.com,
22 May 2026
-
Colbert began hosting The Late Show in 2015, taking the baton from David Letterman, after hosting the news satire show The Colbert Report on Comedy Central.—
Charisma Madarang,
Rolling Stone,
22 May 2026
Noun
-
Despite that underlying tension, kids play on the street outside while the large family has a dynamic like any other — noisily squabbling, joking, or in the case of the matriarchal grandmother, Mariam (Hiam Abbass), preparing a meal in a kitchen plagued by constant utility outages.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
15 May 2026
-
The president has long bristled at the otherwise customary joking at his expense by celebrity comedians.—
Dennis Romero,
NBC news,
28 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Rib.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rib. Accessed 24 May. 2026.
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