1
as in parodies
a work that imitates and exaggerates another work for comic effect
the movie is a rib of the "dramatic love story" that was so popular in the 1950s
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in jokes
something said or done to cause laughter
began to lose his sense of humor after being the butt of his friends' ribs once too often
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in kids
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 ribs
Sam Charles, Chicago Tribune, 17 Apr. 2026
Anton Lundell missed the final 14 games with injuries to his ribs.
—Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 16 Apr. 2026
Her plastic surgeon in Seoul adopted a common strategy of removing the silicone and using cartilage from Charlene's ribs to form the bridge of the nose.
—Zoey Lyttle, PEOPLE, 16 Apr. 2026
They’re joined by rotating specials such as bone-in pork belly ribs and smoked flat iron steak carved into rosy pink slices.
—Robert F. Moss, Southern Living, 16 Apr. 2026
The disjointed nature of the pelvis, the vertebrae at the base of the spine and the ribs indicate that the pelvis and cartilage, meanwhile, could not yet support the animal’s weight, as would be expected of an individual that had yet to hatch.
—Kate Wong, Scientific American, 15 Apr. 2026
On Tuesday, the CEO of LA28, the Los Angeles Olympics organizing committee, was grilled like a rack of ribs by the City Council’s ad hoc Committee on the Olympics and Paralympics.
—Susan Shelley, Oc Register, 15 Apr. 2026
This release invites elongation through your side body and expansion of your ribs, while easing tension across the neck and shoulders.
—Jennifer Shanker, Flow Space, 15 Apr. 2026
Imagine the ribs are a bottle and the mucus is the ketchup desperately clinging to its sides, Welsh says.
—Courtney Crowder, USA Today, 10 Apr. 2026
Noun
The Cook County medical examiner’s office found that the fatal shot pierced Rivera’s skin near her left armpit and traveled through both her lungs, wedging itself in her ribs, autopsy records show.
—Sam Charles, Chicago Tribune, 17 Apr. 2026
Anton Lundell missed the final 14 games with injuries to his ribs.
—Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 16 Apr. 2026
Her plastic surgeon in Seoul adopted a common strategy of removing the silicone and using cartilage from Charlene's ribs to form the bridge of the nose.
—Zoey Lyttle, PEOPLE, 16 Apr. 2026
They’re joined by rotating specials such as bone-in pork belly ribs and smoked flat iron steak carved into rosy pink slices.
—Robert F. Moss, Southern Living, 16 Apr. 2026
The disjointed nature of the pelvis, the vertebrae at the base of the spine and the ribs indicate that the pelvis and cartilage, meanwhile, could not yet support the animal’s weight, as would be expected of an individual that had yet to hatch.
—Kate Wong, Scientific American, 15 Apr. 2026
On Tuesday, the CEO of LA28, the Los Angeles Olympics organizing committee, was grilled like a rack of ribs by the City Council’s ad hoc Committee on the Olympics and Paralympics.
—Susan Shelley, Oc Register, 15 Apr. 2026
This release invites elongation through your side body and expansion of your ribs, while easing tension across the neck and shoulders.
—Jennifer Shanker, Flow Space, 15 Apr. 2026
Imagine the ribs are a bottle and the mucus is the ketchup desperately clinging to its sides, Welsh says.
—Courtney Crowder, USA Today, 10 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ribs
Noun
-
While the show featured many of the same characters, its format strayed from the sci-fi space narrative of Spaceballs and instead was a series of parodies, each episode serving as a satirical commentary on several contemporary hits, such as Lord of the Rings, American Idol and Harry Potter.—
Maddie Garfinkle,
PEOPLE,
16 Apr. 2026
-
Human artists have designed creative parodies of AI slop, but AI lacks the necessary self-awareness to parody itself, even with a human behind the wheel.—
Cath Virginia,
The Verge,
11 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
And every family has that annoying uncle that makes horrible jokes or one situation after another.—
Lexi Lane,
PEOPLE,
18 Apr. 2026
-
The pages restate themes and jokes, the same words on many pages, each with little iterations.—
Adam Moss,
Vulture,
17 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Both kids cheer and bite into their burgers.—
Fortesa Latifi,
Rolling Stone,
5 Apr. 2026
-
As previously mentioned, Meevee targets a preschool audience — specifically kids two to six — pretty much the only ages parents can (and should) be in sole control of their children’s screen time anyway.—
Tony Maglio,
HollywoodReporter,
1 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Retro Rewind players run a Blockbuster Video-like movie-rental store set in the early 1990s, complete with spoofs of real blockbusters of the era.—
Tony Maglio,
HollywoodReporter,
19 Mar. 2026
-
Way better than dusty game show and dinner party spoofs.—
Andy Hoglund,
Entertainment Weekly,
18 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Wonder even did an impression of Murphy’s impression of him, which received big laughs from the crowd.—
John Ross,
Vanity Fair,
19 Apr. 2026
-
While at my pool cabana, our private butler even connected us to another like-minded visiting family, which resulted in unexpectedly great conversation and laughs.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
17 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
This footage also teases a frightening moment when Pitt and his dog cross a river, and Pitt’s effort to keep his dog from falling leads himself to wind up in the water.—
Ryan Gajewski,
HollywoodReporter,
16 Apr. 2026
-
In the below interview, Neustadter teases upcoming shows like Elle, out July 1 on Prime Video, and Lucky coming to Apple TV July 10 from Reese Witherspoon’s production company.—
Dessi Gomez,
Deadline,
10 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The cafe roasts its coffee beans on-site and excels at classics, including French toast and egg sandwiches.—
Tara Massouleh McCay,
Southern Living,
13 Apr. 2026
-
The shop roasts a wide variety of coffee in-house each morning, which should be enjoyed with a delectable selection of baked goods from the bakery counter.—
Kim Kay,
Travel + Leisure,
9 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ribs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ribs. Accessed 24 Apr. 2026.
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