as in joking
marked by or expressive of mild or good-natured teasing
the lightly ribbing tone tipped me off that this wasn't a serious reprimand
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
as in teasing
to make fun of in a good-natured way
ribbed him a bit about fumbling such an easy play
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in mocking
Related Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of ribbing
Robert Channick, Chicago Tribune, 29 Apr. 2025
Like the 81-year old nun, humor and good-natured ribbing characterized the evening festivities.
—Candace Oehler, Forbes.com, 21 Apr. 2025
The gang of basketball analysts engaged in some good natured ribbing of the 53-year-old O’Neal.
—Lisa Respers France, CNN Money, 22 Apr. 2025
But aside from the occasional ribbing, Trump has generally praised Musk and embraced their working relationship.
—Brett Samuels, The Hill, 17 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ribbing
Adjective
While his signature full head of hair sprung back to life after several washings, Swanson expects some residual good-natured ribbing from his Cubs teammates, as the first-place club looks to turn 2025 into its own potentially memorable winning campaign.
—Robert Channick, Chicago Tribune, 29 Apr. 2025
Like the 81-year old nun, humor and good-natured ribbing characterized the evening festivities.
—Candace Oehler, Forbes.com, 21 Apr. 2025
The gang of basketball analysts engaged in some good natured ribbing of the 53-year-old O’Neal.
—Lisa Respers France, CNN Money, 22 Apr. 2025
But aside from the occasional ribbing, Trump has generally praised Musk and embraced their working relationship.
—Brett Samuels, The Hill, 17 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ribbing
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ribbing
Verb
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Seinfeld was clearly teasing, but sure enough, several headlines reported it as gospel with perhaps a mention three paragraphs in that it was intended to be humorous.—
Jenelle Riley,
Variety,
6 Jan. 2025
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From teasing his retirement to becoming a minister and everything in between, here’s a look at the Hollywood star’s year of surprises.—
Stephanie Giang-Paunon,
Fox News,
5 Jan. 2025
Verb
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For myself and many of my classmates, the four-story Forever 21 in Times Square was the most exciting part of our senior-class trip to New York City—not joking!—
Kaitlyn Tiffany,
The Atlantic,
18 Mar. 2025
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And, everyone was joking about it behind his back.—
Todd Nordstrom,
Forbes,
14 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Teaming up with Rebels like the enigmatic Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) and the sarcastic droid K-2SO (Alan Tudyk), Jyn’s quest for salvation and redemption runs right up to the beginning of the original film, Star Wars: A New Hope.—
Mekishana Pierre,
EW.com,
26 June 2025
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Mamdani joined her for a sarcastic infomercial on her account, criticizing Mayor Adams’ record.—
CT Jones,
Rolling Stone,
26 June 2025
Noun
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His real gift was language: puns, rhymes, clever wordplay, and memorable turns of phrase.—
Sam Kelly
July 8,
Literary Hub,
8 July 2025
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Pride in bad wordplay creates stronger ownership than any RACI matrix.—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes.com,
3 July 2025
Noun
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After all the fussing and fidgeting exerted in trying to nail just the right mix of comic book action, comedy and pathos, the movie emerges as a tone-deaf mishmash of underdeveloped characters, half-baked humor and unhatched plotting drenched in CGI overkill.—
Michael Rechtshaffen,
HollywoodReporter,
12 July 2025
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Clarkson delivered with her trademark blend of down-to-Earth humor and out-of-this-world vocals.—
Melissa Ruggieri,
USA Today,
12 July 2025
Noun
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While the governor and the congressman have traded barbs in the past, the two were present on Tuesday for Trump’s visit to the state’s new detention facility in the Everglades Alligator Alcatraz.—
Julia Manchester,
The Hill,
1 July 2025
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Trump’s threats and personal barbs threaten to deepen the rift with Musk, who poured over $290 million into the last election.—
Michael Kan,
PC Magazine,
1 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ribbing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ribbing. Accessed 19 Jul. 2025.
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