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 teasing
to make fun of in a good-natured way
ribbed him a bit about fumbling such an easy play
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in mocking
Related Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of 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
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
Nicol Natale, PEOPLE, 8 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
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
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
The ribbing around the cuffs, neckline, and hem is subtly elegant.
—Nicol Natale, PEOPLE, 8 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
Verb
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Bieber made his debut on Twitch yesterday with a stream that included footage of the singer playing basketball, shooting pool with friends and teasing his upcoming Coachella dates.—
Gil Kaufman,
Billboard,
23 Oct. 2025
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Samsung’s first Galaxy XR headset is now official, but that hasn’t stopped the company teasing future AR products.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
22 Oct. 2025
Noun
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The cast, for their part, have not let up on their mocking of him.—
Anna Kaufman,
USA Today,
6 Oct. 2025
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Still, the DoE’s X post drew millions of views and many mocking replies, including a community note reminding readers that batteries exist to store power when the sun isn’t shining or the wind isn’t blowing.—
Eva Roytburg,
Fortune,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Just before Thursday’s taping Pence and Emanual met outside the greenroom, and each greeted each other warmly, quickly asking each other questions about their kids before anything else, while kidding with each other about a long unpaid bet.—
Ted Johnson,
Deadline,
10 Oct. 2025
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Okay, kidding about that last part.—
Elizabeth Logan,
Glamour,
7 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Mackey reached out to Warren Buffett, who declined, joking about the poor brand fit between his Dairy Queen ownership and his junk food preferences.—
Dave Smith,
Fortune,
23 Oct. 2025
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Altman wasn't joking about the price of politeness.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
21 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Justine Lupe plays Joanne’s sarcastic best friend, sister, sometimes-advisor and podcast co-host Morgan Williams.—
Skyler Trepel,
PEOPLE,
25 Oct. 2025
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As a model named Carl, stuck in a relationship corrupted by microcelebrity and Instagram view counts, Dickinson ticks with exasperation and sarcastic logic, his jaw clenched, his eyes wide and staring.—
Carrie Battan,
Vulture,
6 Oct. 2025
Noun
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It was made with coconut, which was pleasantly pronounced without ever dominating, and the dark chocolate added a deep, decadent richness that melted in my mouth.—
Evan Moore,
Charlotte Observer,
28 Oct. 2025
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One- and two-night itineraries have been curated to highlight Saudi Arabia’s natural beauty and cultural richness, which has, until now, been mostly out of reach for global tourists.—
Sofia Celeste,
Footwear News,
27 Oct. 2025
Noun
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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
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Formed in Yuba City in 2016, Herencia de Patrones is widely credited with helping pioneer a style that fuses traditional regional Mexican corridos and norteño with hip-hop wordplay.—
Isabela Raygoza,
Billboard,
10 Oct. 2025
Noun
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The jury also appreciated the thematically appropriate disregard for linear time used in the movie and found hope and joy in watching these characters seek humor and hold tight to each other in the face of a difficult disease.—
Christian Blauvelt,
IndieWire,
24 Oct. 2025
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Rather than shy away from the association, the company decided to respond to the incident with humor.—
Martha McHardy,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ribbing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ribbing. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.
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