tongue-in-cheek

Definition of tongue-in-cheeknext

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of tongue-in-cheek Sunnei emerged on the international scene with unexpected and inventive show concepts, and the designers share with Franco Moschino a tongue-in-cheek attitude to fashion, peppering their collections with fashion commentary. Luisa Zargani, Footwear News, 21 June 2026 Williams seemed to be speaking tongue-in-cheek, but Valkyries fans certainly did not see it that way. Nathan Canilao, Mercury News, 20 June 2026 Clad in Nudie suits, Stetson hats, and plenty of tongue-in-cheek cowboy glamor, the trio was repeatedly warned that the tones and aesthetic of Eighties Texas country wasn’t on pace with where the genre was going in the mainstream. Marissa R. Moss, Rolling Stone, 18 June 2026 Asked what’s led to her recent hot streak, Cunningham peeled back the curtain in her typical tongue-in-cheek fashion. James Boyd, New York Times, 17 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for tongue-in-cheek
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tongue-in-cheek
Adjective
  • Your method of dismissing your flippant remarks, then, is probably the next best option to silence.
    R. Eric Thomas, Chicago Tribune, 22 June 2026
  • Chick lit was flippant and fizzy and fun, above all, as effervescent and guiltless as a vodka soda.
    Hillary Busis, Vanity Fair, 4 May 2026
Adjective
  • The first thing he was asked, by another reporter who witnessed the debate, was a facetious question of whether he’s given MVP any thought.
    Jared Weiss, New York Times, 24 Mar. 2026
  • His posture is authoritative without being imposing, his voice warm without being facetious.
    Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 5 Dec. 2025
Adjective
  • The funny and ironic thing is that Major League Baseball has also rolled back DEI initiatives in response to the federal government crackdown.
    Jon Root OutKick, FOXNews.com, 27 June 2026
  • But the criticism is ironic given DC Studios’ co-chief James Gunn‘s famous pledge of taking a script-first approach to franchise management.
    James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 26 June 2026
Adjective
  • Co-created by Seinfeld and Larry David, the sitcom was a massive hit in the ’90s thanks to its wry dissection of social norms, and the talents of costars Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Jason Alexander, and Michael Richards.
    Britt Hayes, Entertainment Weekly, 17 June 2026
  • Chocolate brings it home with a punch line—a wry observation to end the story with a laugh.
    Joseph Trinidad, Longreads, 16 June 2026
Adjective
  • Traditionally cynical and perceptive commentators—not to mention a lot of tired citizens—found themselves, in some accounts, overcome by an unexpected wave of patriotic sentimentality that washed away, at least for a moment, their gnawing doubts.
    Christopher Hooks, Harpers Magazine, 23 June 2026
  • Heston is at his most gleefully cynical as Robert Thorn, a police detective who lives and works in a New York City decimated by environmental deterioration and dwindling resources.
    Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 23 June 2026
Adjective
  • In a bowl, combine all dry rub ingredients and season the ribs generously on all sides.
    Staff, FOXNews.com, 3 July 2026
  • Flip your cloth to a dry side and buff for that perfect, streak-free shine.
    Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 2 July 2026
Adjective
  • Another child was rescued from the rubble in Venezuela’s La Guaira region, marking a poignant moment at the close of a long and emotionally charged day of crisis response on Saturday.
    Diego Mendoza, CNN Money, 28 June 2026
  • But Van Sant’s imaginative and deeply poignant retelling of Shakespeare’s Henry IV is a pleasure in its own right, its sweetness and gentle touches of surrealism coming together to form a heartbreaking ode to young love.
    Liam Hess, Vogue, 28 June 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Tongue-in-cheek.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tongue-in-cheek. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster