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
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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
Los Angeles Times, 22 May 2026
Kikta’s scalpel cuts into the man’s chest down to his ribs.
—Kansas City Star, 22 May 2026
Your chest should stay up, ribs down, and core engaged to help maintain a strong position as well.
—Christa Sgobba, Health, 19 May 2026
Use enough Memphis Dry Rub to generously coat the ribs on both sides.
—John Metcalfe, Mercury News, 19 May 2026
Summer parties frequently feature burgers and hot dogs on the grill, alongside ribs, chicken and salads.
—John Kell, Forbes.com, 19 May 2026
After harvesting, don’t remove the ribs or seeds from jalapeños.
—Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 18 May 2026
Noun
A little jolt from a taser to the ribs.
—Los Angeles Times, 22 May 2026
Kikta’s scalpel cuts into the man’s chest down to his ribs.
—Kansas City Star, 22 May 2026
Your chest should stay up, ribs down, and core engaged to help maintain a strong position as well.
—Christa Sgobba, Health, 19 May 2026
Use enough Memphis Dry Rub to generously coat the ribs on both sides.
—John Metcalfe, Mercury News, 19 May 2026
Summer parties frequently feature burgers and hot dogs on the grill, alongside ribs, chicken and salads.
—John Kell, Forbes.com, 19 May 2026
After harvesting, don’t remove the ribs or seeds from jalapeños.
—Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 18 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ribs
Noun
-
His most viral videos include skits about dueling Drake and Kendrick Lamar tracks and parodies amplifying more serious lyrical messages in popular party music.—
Lia Russell,
Sacbee.com,
13 May 2026
-
Broadway, top-heavy with musical parodies and attention-grabbing revivals, is having a strange season by all accounts.—
Theater Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The jokes landed because the admiration underneath them was unmistakable.—
Clayton Davis,
Variety,
18 May 2026
-
Last week’s The Roast of Kevin Hart remains at #2 as clips of the jokes keep going viral on social media.—
Paul Tassi,
Forbes.com,
18 May 2026
Verb
-
Young Michael may have seemed strange, or just plain different, to kids his own age, but what about the adult Michael, whose professional life took him outside the family orbit and into offices, studios, and night clubs?—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
23 Apr. 2026
-
Both kids cheer and bite into their burgers.—
Fortesa Latifi,
Rolling Stone,
5 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
There would be more scripted and carefully choreographed moments in his TV spots for Calvin Klein jeans and Obsession, collaborations with the writer Doon Arbus (daughter of Diane and Allan Arbus) that took chances (and which, for some viewers, are inseparable from memorable spoofs on SNL).—
Sheri Linden,
HollywoodReporter,
17 May 2026
-
The success of more straightforward spoofs such as Schaffer’s The Naked Gun last year is also reassuring; that film was a classic joke-a-minute throwback that largely worked (for both viewers and critics), more in line with the sort of fare that the Lonely Island made early on.—
David Sims,
The Atlantic,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The tech is terrifying, but it’s treated matter-of-factly, played for barked laughs.—
Inkoo Kang,
New Yorker,
17 May 2026
-
How important to you is comedy and releasing tension with laughs?—
Joshua Rothkopf,
Los Angeles Times,
17 May 2026
Verb
-
The preview also teases the roles of the supporting cast.—
Nick Romano,
Entertainment Weekly,
22 May 2026
-
The two minute-plus first look (below) at the first cast gathering since co-stars Amanda Batula and West Wilson went public with their relationship teases some lighter moments when the group claims their spots on the reunion couch around host Andy Cohen.—
Jackie Strause,
HollywoodReporter,
19 May 2026
Verb
-
Millete Birhanemaskel, owner of Whittier Cafe, roasts the beans that Leul serves.—
Colin Wrenn,
Denver Post,
13 May 2026
-
Next, Butac arranges a bunch of the beans on two trays and roasts them for a specific amount of time before separating the shells from the beans and then running the bean fragments, also known as nibs, through a mill.—
Ari Daniel,
NPR,
10 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ribs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ribs. Accessed 23 May. 2026.
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