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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of ribs
Sean Gregory, Time, 27 Oct. 2025
Tsui suffered extensive injuries, including fractured cartilage inside his neck, liver hemorrhages and fractured ribs, according to court records.
—Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 27 Oct. 2025
Hammerheads restaurant, known for ribs, smoked chicken wings, and unique sandwiches, is celebrating 15 years in Louisville.
—Ray Padilla, Louisville Courier Journal, 24 Oct. 2025
Signature margaritas complement a robust menu of street tacos, enchiladas, and chef’s specials, including the Quesabirria and chipotle-and-coffee pork ribs.
—Symiah Dorsey, Southern Living, 24 Oct. 2025
Angelo’s is the lunch stop and Strowman devoured ribs, brisket and more smoked meats, restaurant owner Jason George told the Star-Telegram.
—Brayden Garcia, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 Oct. 2025
That fall, the same quintet started the first 16 games of the year and played 86% of the season’s snaps together before McGlinchey broke ribs in a friendly fire incident and missed the finale.
—Parker Gabriel, Denver Post, 24 Oct. 2025
The muscle fibers of the external obliques run diagonally downward (from your ribs down toward your pelvis).
—Jakob Roze, Health, 21 Oct. 2025
His ribs, eyes and feet glow as the motion- and sound-activated skeleton pops to life dancing to the beat of the music.
—Charlotte Observer, 20 Oct. 2025
Noun
Vonn walked with a limp, which contorted her body in a way that put stress on other areas, like her hips and ribs.
—Sean Gregory, Time, 27 Oct. 2025
Tsui suffered extensive injuries, including fractured cartilage inside his neck, liver hemorrhages and fractured ribs, according to court records.
—Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 27 Oct. 2025
Hammerheads restaurant, known for ribs, smoked chicken wings, and unique sandwiches, is celebrating 15 years in Louisville.
—Ray Padilla, Louisville Courier Journal, 24 Oct. 2025
Signature margaritas complement a robust menu of street tacos, enchiladas, and chef’s specials, including the Quesabirria and chipotle-and-coffee pork ribs.
—Symiah Dorsey, Southern Living, 24 Oct. 2025
Angelo’s is the lunch stop and Strowman devoured ribs, brisket and more smoked meats, restaurant owner Jason George told the Star-Telegram.
—Brayden Garcia, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 Oct. 2025
That fall, the same quintet started the first 16 games of the year and played 86% of the season’s snaps together before McGlinchey broke ribs in a friendly fire incident and missed the finale.
—Parker Gabriel, Denver Post, 24 Oct. 2025
The muscle fibers of the external obliques run diagonally downward (from your ribs down toward your pelvis).
—Jakob Roze, Health, 21 Oct. 2025
His ribs, eyes and feet glow as the motion- and sound-activated skeleton pops to life dancing to the beat of the music.
—Charlotte Observer, 20 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ribs
Noun
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Death, of course, is never permanent in slasher movies, or parodies of slasher movies, for that matter.—
Skyler Trepel,
Entertainment Weekly,
19 Oct. 2025
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Pop-culture figures like Frankenstein, Dracula, and the Wolfman are so ubiquitous as to be both movie characters and parodies of themselves, and this DuckTales episode is good for any kids that like monsters but aren’t quite ready to be menaced by them yet.—
Daniel Dockery,
Vulture,
17 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Underneath this Adam Sandler comedy’s goofy jigs and fart jokes is a compilation of emotional horrors as potent as any jump scare.—
The Atlantic Culture Desk,
The Atlantic,
29 Oct. 2025
-
Fans got a kick out of the differing reactions and let the jokes fly.—
Natasha Dye,
PEOPLE,
29 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Now, Wilson is showing off his brand's latest back-to-school collection as part of Macy's x Rookie kids fashion show, and his three eldest kids walked the runway.—
Skyler Caruso,
PEOPLE,
19 Sep. 2025
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There’s also never really a good explanation for why the population of campers has dwindled, beyond Charlie Brown telling Sally that kids her age just want to watch TV instead of heading outdoors for fun.—
Bill Goodykoontz,
AZCentral.com,
11 Aug. 2025
Noun
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For instance, think back to when everyone was doing spoofs about titles that dealt with women in trains or in windows or in peril.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
16 Oct. 2025
-
Indeed, Altman, by virtue of the sheer number of spoofs, appears to have joined the pantheon of comic figures alongside South Park’s Eric Cartman and Family Guy’s Peter Griffin.—
Deni Ellis Béchard,
Scientific American,
9 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Set in the English countryside, the film uses the classic plot of a lower class criminal working his way up through the hierarchy in order to extract laughs from an ensemble of eccentric aristocrats.—
Christian Zilko,
IndieWire,
28 Oct. 2025
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Thanks to an outstanding supporting voice cast that includes Jennifer Coolidge, John Cleese, Jay Leno, Eddie Izzard and Steve Buscemi, Igor is loaded with quirky characters and laughs.—
Keith Langston,
PEOPLE,
27 Oct. 2025
Verb
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And, as the announcement teases with a lengthy pause, Jessica Lange is making her return to the series, after last being seen briefly in 2018's Apocalypse season.—
Lauren Huff,
Entertainment Weekly,
31 Oct. 2025
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The show’s logline teases an ambitious group of friends navigating life and love in Los Angeles.—
Dessi Gomez,
Deadline,
31 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Mason roasts coffee beans from Ethiopia, Brazil and Colombia and supplies them to coffee shops throughout metro Detroit.—
Lyndsay C. Green,
Freep.com,
28 Sep. 2025
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The company then freshly roasts the beans in small batches at its Grapevine cafe.—
Ella Gonzales,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
25 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ribs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ribs. Accessed 5 Nov. 2025.
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