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
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as in mocking
Synonyms & Similar 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
Robert Channick, Chicago Tribune, 29 Apr. 2025
Like the 81-year old nun, humor and good-natured ribbing characterized the evening festivities.
—Candace Oehler, Forbes.com, 21 Apr. 2025
The gang of basketball analysts engaged in some good natured ribbing of the 53-year-old O’Neal.
—Lisa Respers France, CNN Money, 22 Apr. 2025
But aside from the occasional ribbing, Trump has generally praised Musk and embraced their working relationship.
—Brett Samuels, The Hill, 17 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ribbing
Noun
While his signature full head of hair sprung back to life after several washings, Swanson expects some residual good-natured ribbing from his Cubs teammates, as the first-place club looks to turn 2025 into its own potentially memorable winning campaign.
—Robert Channick, Chicago Tribune, 29 Apr. 2025
Like the 81-year old nun, humor and good-natured ribbing characterized the evening festivities.
—Candace Oehler, Forbes.com, 21 Apr. 2025
The gang of basketball analysts engaged in some good natured ribbing of the 53-year-old O’Neal.
—Lisa Respers France, CNN Money, 22 Apr. 2025
But aside from the occasional ribbing, Trump has generally praised Musk and embraced their working relationship.
—Brett Samuels, The Hill, 17 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ribbing
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ribbing
Verb
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Seinfeld was clearly teasing, but sure enough, several headlines reported it as gospel with perhaps a mention three paragraphs in that it was intended to be humorous.—
Jenelle Riley,
Variety,
6 Jan. 2025
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From teasing his retirement to becoming a minister and everything in between, here’s a look at the Hollywood star’s year of surprises.—
Stephanie Giang-Paunon,
Fox News,
5 Jan. 2025
Verb
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For myself and many of my classmates, the four-story Forever 21 in Times Square was the most exciting part of our senior-class trip to New York City—not joking!—
Kaitlyn Tiffany,
The Atlantic,
18 Mar. 2025
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And, everyone was joking about it behind his back.—
Todd Nordstrom,
Forbes,
14 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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His father, observing his children’s unconventional career choices, eventually developed his own sarcastic advice for parents.—
Omaid Homayun,
Forbes.com,
24 June 2025
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Idiotic rich boy Bertie Wooster gets himself into some kind of sticky situation with another rich idiot, and his quietly sarcastic, above-it-all, genius butler Jeeves inevitably gets him out of it.—
Brian Boone,
Vulture,
18 June 2025
Noun
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Ryan is a poet who favors sideways, surprising, puzzle-worthy wordplay.—
A.O. Scott,
New York Times,
13 June 2025
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On the track, Wayne takes cues from Jay-Z putting on an elite display of repetition of wordplay.—
Pitchfork,
Pitchfork,
6 June 2025
Noun
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Friday, March 27: This dance troupe blends traditional African styles with those from Black fraternities and sororities and contemporary forms in a show that also features storytelling, humor and audience participation.—
Mike Danahey,
Chicago Tribune,
21 June 2025
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Superhero cinema has dominated since then, and Brad Bird's visual style and humor feel less novel.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
21 June 2025
Noun
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Gayle nearly always has a nasty comment or barb and picks someone to fight with at every family gathering.—
Abigail Van Buren,
Boston Herald,
9 June 2025
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The barbs are the latest chapter in a long-running, often personal feud between Trump and Newsom, who have clashed repeatedly over everything from the governor’s response to recent wildfires to water policy to California’s high-speed rail.—
Nik Popli,
Time,
9 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ribbing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ribbing. Accessed 2 Jul. 2025.
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