1
as in parody
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in joke
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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of rib
Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 27 Apr. 2026
At the event, junior pitmasters compete in several categories, including dessert, beans, chicken, ribs and brisket.
—Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 Apr. 2026
Jack Crosbie, Rolling Stone, 7 Apr. 2026
Not exactly a denial by Lux, who appeared to not take the ribbing too seriously.
—Sam Blum, New York Times, 30 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for rib
Noun
In all, Herro appeared in just 33 of the regular-season’s 82 games due to a variety of injuries, including missing 13 games due to a toe bruise and 15 due to a rib injury.
—Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 27 Apr. 2026
At the event, junior pitmasters compete in several categories, including dessert, beans, chicken, ribs and brisket.
—Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 Apr. 2026
Verb
In real life, Miller takes the ribbing well, happy to be his friend’s fall guy for the purposes of narrative structure.
—Jack Crosbie, Rolling Stone, 7 Apr. 2026
Not exactly a denial by Lux, who appeared to not take the ribbing too seriously.
—Sam Blum, New York Times, 30 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for rib
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rib
Noun
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The musical — a rock-and-raunch, goth-and-gay parody of cheesy, mid-century horror/sci-fi flicks — was created by Richard O’Brien (book, music, lyrics and who performed as the snarling butler Riff Raff).—
Frank Rizzo,
Variety,
24 Apr. 2026
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The new plan does not change the Onion’s mission, which is to turn the site into a parody of itself and sell merchandise, sharing profits with Sandy Hook families.—
Theresa Braine,
New York Daily News,
21 Apr. 2026
Noun
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As the Ado Annie-like Betsy, a horny teen-ager whose father owns a shotgun, Kurtz is playing a character who should be, and kind of is, a one-joke punch line.—
Emily Nussbaum,
New Yorker,
30 Apr. 2026
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Complaints about hospital food are certainly not new, and Jell-O and fruit juice are often the butt of related jokes.—
Stephanie Armour,
CBS News,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Castmembers Kevin Sussman, Lauren Lapkus, Brian Posehn and John Ross Bowie took the stage at CCXP Mexico City to tease their project that combines comedy with sci-fi and is set to begin streaming on HBO Max in July.—
Ryan Gajewski,
HollywoodReporter,
26 Apr. 2026
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Creator Bruce Miller was more than happy to tease what’s to come this week in episode 6, while on stage at the Deadline Contenders TV panel.—
Amanda Champagne-Meadows,
Deadline,
26 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Nearly 40 years after Spaceballs first hit theaters in 1987, Mel Brooks' Star Wars spoof is gearing up for another ride.—
Maddie Garfinkle,
PEOPLE,
16 Apr. 2026
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In the timely space spoof, the four Artemis 2 astronauts, portrayed by Colman Domingo, Mikey Day, Marcello Hernández, and Sarah Sherman offer an update on their moon mission at Day 9.—
Jeff Spry,
Space.com,
14 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Their laughs and chatter fill the countryside and one another’s hearts, the merriment binding them all together like caterpillars in one big cocoon.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
24 Apr. 2026
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Over Your Dead Body knows that sustaining a harmonious union amid petty jealousies, paranoia, and personal flaws is hard; navigating a hostage situation involving desperate sickos and sociopaths is even harder; and maintaining a balance of laughs and gag-reflex tweaking is the hardest of it all.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
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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
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Just kidding, but that would’ve been awesome.—
Maggie Fremont,
Vulture,
17 Apr. 2026
Noun
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In 1983, Mark Russell, whose satire was a PBS staple, offered relatively tame jabs at Reagan.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
24 Apr. 2026
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The project brings together satire and documentary to move across memory, ideology and political contradiction.—
Emiliano de Pablos,
Variety,
23 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Here opposites — classy and brassy — are distractions, with odd-couple joking substituting for something more substantial.—
Frank Rizzo,
Variety,
23 Apr. 2026
-
There was none of the usual laughing and joking.—
Mario Cortegana,
New York Times,
20 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Rib.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rib. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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