as in joking
marked by or expressive of mild or good-natured teasing
the lightly ribbing tone tipped me off that this wasn't a serious reprimand
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
as in mocking
Related Words
as in teasing
to make fun of in a good-natured way
ribbed him a bit about fumbling such an easy play
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 ribbing
Joe Davidson, Sacbee.com, 19 Oct. 2025
Hey, what’s some ribbing between besties whose job security has been national news?
—Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 1 Oct. 2025
Milena Malaver, Miami Herald, 20 Sep. 2025
Beverly Hills Estate’s Rayni Williams proved particularly adept at guessing the correct agents, though she was occasionally drowned out by the good-natured ribbing of jokesters Aaron Kirman and Matt Altman.
—Hadley Meares, HollywoodReporter, 18 Sep. 2025
Merrell Readman, Travel + Leisure, 25 Oct. 2025
Other fast-casual chains have joined in on the ribbing, including Steak n’ Shake, which embodies its own 1950s aesthetic.
—Aris Folley, The Hill, 21 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ribbing
Adjective
As for any ribbing that his head coach gives him for being an old plodder back, Hammond laughed it off.
—Joe Davidson, Sacbee.com, 19 Oct. 2025
Hey, what’s some ribbing between besties whose job security has been national news?
—Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 1 Oct. 2025
Noun
Still, the good-natured ribbing never let up.
—Milena Malaver, Miami Herald, 20 Sep. 2025
Beverly Hills Estate’s Rayni Williams proved particularly adept at guessing the correct agents, though she was occasionally drowned out by the good-natured ribbing of jokesters Aaron Kirman and Matt Altman.
—Hadley Meares, HollywoodReporter, 18 Sep. 2025
Verb
Both the sleeves and hem of the pullover are decorated with ribbing to add contrast to the plain knit of the body, and the yarn is flecked to add vintage charm to this high-quality sweater.
—Merrell Readman, Travel + Leisure, 25 Oct. 2025
Other fast-casual chains have joined in on the ribbing, including Steak n’ Shake, which embodies its own 1950s aesthetic.
—Aris Folley, The Hill, 21 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ribbing
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ribbing
Noun
-
The movie has a brief mocking glimpse of MTV, just for a cheap laugh, when Springsteen is flipping channels between Badlands reruns.—
Rob Sheffield,
Rolling Stone,
2 Nov. 2025
-
The cast, for their part, have not let up on their mocking of him.—
Anna Kaufman,
USA Today,
6 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The former Nickelodeon sitcom stars posted a new video on Instagram Wednesday, teasing what appeared to be a casual interaction as Peck sipped on a large drink in a plastic container.—
Joey Nolfi,
Entertainment Weekly,
6 Nov. 2025
-
The Japan Mobility Show is in full swing in Tokyo, and some of the largest automotive brands in the world are debuting and teasing vehicle concepts that could shape their future portfolios.—
Charles Singh,
USA Today,
5 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Just kidding - but honestly not sold on him being the best player on a championship caliber team.—
The Athletic NBA Staff,
New York Times,
30 Oct. 2025
-
The Aggies coach wasn’t kidding.—
Joe Davidson,
Sacbee.com,
25 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Or, joking around with cruise staff, fans as well as his fellow industry mates.—
Essence,
Essence,
4 Nov. 2025
-
Others welcomed the move, while some suggested that Abbott was joking.—
Khaleda Rahman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
The Marriage Story star first appeared as a child in an uncredited role in the Scorsese film — Ladd's first taste of major acclaim as the sarcastic waitress Flo.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
3 Nov. 2025
-
The kicking game was so bad that Freeman sounded like Brian Kelly at his sarcastic best when asked about Noah Burnette, Erik Schmidt and Marcello Diomede combining to miss two extra points and one field goal.—
Pete Sampson,
New York Times,
2 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
The program is meant to celebrate the warmth, vitality and melodic richness of Dvořák’s music, according to conductor and music director John LoPiccolo.—
Elizabeth Marie Himchak,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
11 Nov. 2025
-
The spicy tuna had a gentle kick, the macadamia nuts added a pleasant crunch, and the maguro and unagi on top tied everything together with a subtle richness.—
Evan Moore
November 11,
Charlotte Observer,
11 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
No amount of refined wordplay or frilly couture can disguise how neatly the women’s war of wills fits into a larger filmography obsessed with the ways everyone madly scrambles for influence and control.—
A.A. Dowd,
Vulture,
24 Oct. 2025
-
Bennett is a writer of great linguistic inventiveness; her previous books, the short-story collection Pond and the novel Checkout 19, use surprising wordplay to evoke their narrators’ unique ways of interacting with the world.—
Rhian Sasseen,
The Atlantic,
22 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
His keen playful writing combines magical realism, genre-busting humor, literary zip—and there are few people better suited to adapting Wilder than Ethan Lipton.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 Nov. 2025
-
With Pedro Pascal and Vanessa Kirby leading the way, the sci-fi/disaster flick is full of humor, heart and high stakes, plus Julia Garner's Silver Surfer is a joy to behold riding all those good vibes.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
7 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ribbing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ribbing. Accessed 27 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share