as in prank
a playful or mischievous act intended as a joke
friends had left the risqué message on his voice mail as a practical joke
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of practical joke
Some guessed that excessive Taser incidents could be officers fiddling with the weapons out of boredom or sparking them as a practical joke.
—
Nate Rosenfield, New York Times, 14 Jan. 2025
The constant attention, however, soon became overwhelming for the family, with some fans taking things too far with practical jokes related to the show.
—Gil MacIas, People.com, 3 Jan. 2025
Baseball players are notorious for playing practical jokes on one another.
—Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2024
This dangling face flesh may look like Mother Nature’s idea of a practical joke, but it is actually packed with purpose.
—Alice Jones Webb, Outdoor Life, 21 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for practical joke
Nate Rosenfield, New York Times, 14 Jan. 2025
The constant attention, however, soon became overwhelming for the family, with some fans taking things too far with practical jokes related to the show.
—Gil MacIas, People.com, 3 Jan. 2025
Baseball players are notorious for playing practical jokes on one another.
—Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2024
This dangling face flesh may look like Mother Nature’s idea of a practical joke, but it is actually packed with purpose.
—Alice Jones Webb, Outdoor Life, 21 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for practical joke
Recent Examples of Synonyms for practical joke
Noun
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The couple, who have four kids, loves sharing their love on TikTok, so after the prank, Abbie decided to compile some of the photos together and post them.—
Jordan Greene,
People.com,
26 May 2025
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Jax dialed the number to prank call Sanders during the draft.—
Chantz Martin,
FOXNews.com,
22 May 2025
Noun
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The secret trick of reconciliation is that Congress gets a chance to add tweaks to the budget — to reconcile it — twice every federal fiscal year.—
Chris Stirewalt,
The Hill,
30 May 2025
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Turn Strong Articles Into How-To Or Best-Practice Guides One of my favorite tricks is transforming strong articles into resources that stay relevant long-term, like how-to guides or best practices.—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes.com,
29 May 2025
Noun
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Some of the most memorable travel experiences happen around the table.—
Sandals Resorts,
AFAR Media,
2 June 2025
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Affected partners are receiving 60 days' notice, Laura Falko, Broadcom’s head of global partner programs, marketing, and experience, told The Register.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
2 June 2025
Noun
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Super Nintendo World - Brings guests into the fan-favorite video game franchise for adventures with Mario, Princess Peach, and more, like at Universal Studios Hollywood.—
Samantha Neely,
USA Today,
22 May 2025
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Those calls with Jim Irsay, the longtime Indianapolis Colts owner who died Wednesday at 65, were … an adventure.—
Zak Keefer,
New York Times,
22 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Practical joke.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/practical%20joke. Accessed 5 Jun. 2025.
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