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
Renee Freemon Mulvihill, Better Homes & Gardens, 29 Apr. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for ribbing
Adjective
The plastic handle includes ribbings and grooves to allow for a more comfortable positioning of the hand.
—Renee Freemon Mulvihill, Better Homes & Gardens, 29 Apr. 2025
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
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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Teaming up with Rebels like the enigmatic Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) and the sarcastic droid K-2SO (Alan Tudyk), Jyn’s quest for salvation and redemption runs right up to the beginning of the original film, Star Wars: A New Hope.—
Mekishana Pierre,
EW.com,
26 June 2025
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Mamdani joined her for a sarcastic infomercial on her account, criticizing Mayor Adams’ record.—
CT Jones,
Rolling Stone,
26 June 2025
Noun
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His real gift was language: puns, rhymes, clever wordplay, and memorable turns of phrase.—
Sam Kelly
July 8,
Literary Hub,
8 July 2025
-
Pride in bad wordplay creates stronger ownership than any RACI matrix.—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes.com,
3 July 2025
Noun
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Clarkson delivered with her trademark blend of down-to-Earth humor and out-of-this-world vocals.—
Melissa Ruggieri,
USA Today,
12 July 2025
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After all the fussing and fidgeting exerted in trying to nail just the right mix of comic book action, comedy and pathos, the movie emerges as a tone-deaf mishmash of underdeveloped characters, half-baked humor and unhatched plotting drenched in CGI overkill.—
Michael Rechtshaffen,
HollywoodReporter,
12 July 2025
Noun
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As the power pair traded barbs on social media, Musk asserted Trump would never release the Epstein files because he was named within them.—
Mike Lillis,
The Hill,
9 July 2025
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The pair have traded barbs online since Musk first criticized the price tag of Trump’s spending and policy bill, which is expected to add $3.9 trillion to the federal debt over the next decade.—
Danielle Chemtob,
Forbes.com,
8 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ribbing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ribbing. Accessed 22 Jul. 2025.
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