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
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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
Will Sammon, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2025
The program has sparked controversy and backlash from progressives on multiple occasions during its more than two-decade history on the air for its satirical representations of religious figures, extensive use of racist language and ribbing of climate change activists.
—Dominick Mastrangelo, The Hill, 16 Aug. 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
In the Mets’ clubhouse, Soto’s lack of speed is the butt of good-natured ribbing.
—Will Sammon, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2025
The program has sparked controversy and backlash from progressives on multiple occasions during its more than two-decade history on the air for its satirical representations of religious figures, extensive use of racist language and ribbing of climate change activists.
—Dominick Mastrangelo, The Hill, 16 Aug. 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
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Even many Democratic and independent voters are ambivalent about the governor, who is now openly teasing a 2028 run for president.—
Sacbee.com,
Sacbee.com,
30 Oct. 2025
-
Kacie ultimately won, and Patrick (after teasing) gave it back to her onstage.—
Liza Esquibias,
PEOPLE,
30 Oct. 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
-
Unlike following the loss in Philadelphia, the third-year swingman was in the Hornets’ locker room postgame in Washington and seemed to be in good spirits, joking with his teammates — including LaMelo Ball, who posted his first triple-double in nearly two years.—
Roderick Boone,
Charlotte Observer,
27 Oct. 2025
-
Blue Jays manager John Schneider reopened the free agency saga ahead of the World Series, joking about the gear that was used to recruit Ohtani (and a gift given to his dog, Decoy), which may have added some motivation behind the chants.—
Gabe Smallson,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
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
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Reactions to the freestyle depended on whether or not you were tuned into its sarcastic frequency.—
Jeff Ihaza,
Rolling Stone,
30 Oct. 2025
Noun
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It is aged to perfection delivering a smooth, full-bodied bourbon that balances sweet corn richness with subtle oak and spice.—
Gege Reed,
Louisville Courier Journal,
4 Nov. 2025
-
The arrangements are sparse, breezy, clearing the path for Mavis’ voice, which has only gathered gravitas and richness.—
Jonathan Bernstein,
Rolling Stone,
4 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
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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
-
Prince Philip’s quick wit and no-nonsense humor were legendary, both inside and outside palace walls.—
Janine Henni,
PEOPLE,
31 Oct. 2025
-
Even more preoccupied with toilet humor than its predecessor, Scary Movie 2 hauled in substantially less at the box office.—
Declan Gallagher,
Entertainment Weekly,
31 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ribbing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ribbing. Accessed 7 Nov. 2025.
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