as in joke
something said or done to cause laughter
a drama critic who is best remembered for his biting witticisms
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Recent Examples of witticism
The first enlightening witticism of the week was provided by Rahm Emanuel, the former representative and Chicago mayor, who is testing the political waters ahead of a ...
—
Noah Rothman, National Review, 23 July 2025
Thomas Edison makes real the once fantastical notion of an entire building lit up by electricity, and Oscar Wilde charms the New York aristocracy with his witticisms, if not his plays.
—Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 24 June 2025
The witticism, sometimes misattributed to James Baldwin, began to spread a few months into the coronavirus pandemic, as the shock of mass layoffs started to give way to broader dissatisfaction with work.
—Lora Kelley, The Atlantic, 21 May 2025
His frequent presence in lecture halls advanced him as one of America’s earliest stand-up comedians, and many of his wry witticisms, whether they were written or performed, remain part of the public conversation.
—Danny Heitman, Christian Science Monitor, 9 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for witticism
Noah Rothman, National Review, 23 July 2025
Thomas Edison makes real the once fantastical notion of an entire building lit up by electricity, and Oscar Wilde charms the New York aristocracy with his witticisms, if not his plays.
—Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 24 June 2025
The witticism, sometimes misattributed to James Baldwin, began to spread a few months into the coronavirus pandemic, as the shock of mass layoffs started to give way to broader dissatisfaction with work.
—Lora Kelley, The Atlantic, 21 May 2025
His frequent presence in lecture halls advanced him as one of America’s earliest stand-up comedians, and many of his wry witticisms, whether they were written or performed, remain part of the public conversation.
—Danny Heitman, Christian Science Monitor, 9 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for witticism
Recent Examples of Synonyms for witticism
Noun
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Though the movie is accessible to new fans, there are plenty of winks and nods for diehards who can understand what might seem, to the uninitiated, like cheesy moments—a cringeworthy English rap verse, a scene parodying the product placement in K-dramas—as self-aware jokes.—
Yvonne Kim,
The Atlantic,
12 Sep. 2025
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That means having to cut jokes that don't fit his do-no-harm MO.—
Erin Jensen,
USA Today,
11 Sep. 2025
Noun
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What captured millions of TikTok users' hearts was the pure joy that can be heard in her son’s laughs as her husband shields him from the rain.—
Natalia Senanayake,
PEOPLE,
14 Sep. 2025
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The ratio of laughs to drama changes quite sharply, however, as Joan takes her hostages off on their journey, leading to a bond with Tyler and a lot of unexpected revelations about Joan’s background.—
Damon Wise,
Deadline,
13 Sep. 2025
Noun
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When Peanut pulled his second escape act, his owners knew where to look and handled Peanut's disappearance in a joking manner.—
Michael Nied,
People.com,
2 Sep. 2025
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Multiple outlets that examined the reporting identified the claim as unverified and labeled the story a hoax; Colbert had previously made a joking on-air reference to streaming platforms but had not announced any deal with Netflix.—
Megan Cartwright,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Witticism.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/witticism. Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.
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