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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of rib
Diana Hubbell, Popular Science, 10 Sep. 2025
Monday's trade raises concerns about the health of rookie Will Shipley, who had three carries for 26 yards against the Cowboys before leaving in the second half with a rib injury.
—Kevin McCormick, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Sep. 2025
Emily Weaver, People.com, 13 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
Capsaicin, a chemical concentrated in the seeds and ribs of chiles, is powerful stuff.
—Diana Hubbell, Popular Science, 10 Sep. 2025
Monday's trade raises concerns about the health of rookie Will Shipley, who had three carries for 26 yards against the Cowboys before leaving in the second half with a rib injury.
—Kevin McCormick, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Sep. 2025
Verb
The striped sweater has ribbed cuffs with decorative buttons, while the corresponding midi skirt is designed with a stretchy waist and back slit.
—Emily Weaver, People.com, 13 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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At home, Russia’s wartime economy looks like a parody of Soviet stagnation, exactly what Putin warned against in the early years of his presidency.—
Jeremy Shapiro,
The Atlantic,
10 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
Noun
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Though the movie is accessible to new fans, there are plenty of winks and nods for diehards who can understand what might seem, to the uninitiated, like cheesy moments—a cringeworthy English rap verse, a scene parodying the product placement in K-dramas—as self-aware jokes.—
Yvonne Kim,
The Atlantic,
12 Sep. 2025
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That means having to cut jokes that don't fit his do-no-harm MO.—
Erin Jensen,
USA Today,
11 Sep. 2025
Verb
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As of Tuesday night, South Park’s X account still hasn’t teased any hints of what Episode 5 will be about, something the show has done consistently before the previous three episodes.—
Tim Lammers,
Forbes.com,
17 Sep. 2025
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Cardi teased on Today about the follow-up to her smash 2018 debut LP, Invasion of Privacy.—
Gil Kaufman,
Billboard,
16 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Alan Dershowitz, the famed attorney who once counted Epstein as a client, submitted a spoof cover of Vanity Fair, tweaked as Vanity Unfair, with fake headlines speculating that Epstein was Jack the Ripper and had financed the terrorist group Al Qaeda.—
Miles Klee,
Rolling Stone,
9 Sep. 2025
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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
Noun
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What captured millions of TikTok users' hearts was the pure joy that can be heard in her son’s laughs as her husband shields him from the rain.—
Natalia Senanayake,
PEOPLE,
14 Sep. 2025
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The ratio of laughs to drama changes quite sharply, however, as Joan takes her hostages off on their journey, leading to a bond with Tyler and a lot of unexpected revelations about Joan’s background.—
Damon Wise,
Deadline,
13 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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Developer Arrowhead has characterized the game as a satire.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
12 Sep. 2025
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What Castro depicts, in pointillist satire, is the way someone on the inside might come to agree.—
Jeremy Gordon,
The Atlantic,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
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This could pair nicely with foods ranging from sea bass to roast pork.—
Tom Hyland,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
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The two would buy fresh beans to roast at home and visit neighbors who farmed coffee to tour their gardens.—
Alex Mayyasi,
Saveur,
10 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Rib.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rib. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
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