Armani SyedMike Isaac and Lauren HirschMonique El-FaizyJohn Cassidyvariant spelling of gibe
Daniel DefoeHerman MelvilleJack London
Did you know?
Confused about jibe and gibe? The distinction actually isn't as clear-cut as some commentators would like it to be. Jibe is used both for the verb meaning "to be in accord" or "agree" (as in "the results do not jibe with those from other studies") and for the nautical verb and noun referring to the act of shifting a sail from one side to the other ("jibe the mainsail," "a risky jibe in heavy seas"). Gibe is used as a verb and noun for derisive teasing or taunting. But jibe is also a recognized variant of gibe, so it too has teasing or taunting uses. Gibe has been used occasionally as a variant of jibe, but the use is not common enough to warrant dictionary entry, and is widely considered an error.
Did you know?
Jive vs. Jibe
People began confusing jive and jibe almost immediately after jive entered our language in the late 1920s. In particular, jive is often used as a variant for the sense of jibe meaning “agree,” as in “that doesn’t jive with my memory of what happened.” This use of jive, although increasingly common, is widely considered to be an error. Jibe, however, is accepted as a variant spelling of an entirely different word, which is gibe (“to utter taunting words”).
Examples of gibe in a Sentence
Michael Gfoeller and David H. Rundell, Newsweek, 15 Jan. 2025
Thompson was dressed less formally, and gibed at Weinberger about his attire.
—Jay Nordlinger, National Review, 4 Dec. 2023
Mark Pazniokas, Hartford Courant, 13 Apr. 2026
In response to Trump’s post, Greenlandic Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen stressed the region’s free health care system and pointed out the differences in a gibe at the U.S. system.
—Kirsten Grieshaber, Fortune, 24 Feb. 2026
Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 13 June 2026
The whole thing didn’t quite jibe with his personality.
—Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 3 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for gibe
Cite this Entry
“Gibe.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gibe. Accessed 17 Jun. 2026.
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