1
as in jokes
something said or done to cause laughter
the movie featured a gag involving a chicken driving a car that audiences thought was hysterically funny
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in pranks
a playful or mischievous act intended as a joke
played a gag on their teammate by putting shaving cream in his hat
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in vomits
to discharge the contents of the stomach through the mouth
the terrible smell of rotting fish made me gag
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
3
as in quips
to make jokes
the actor typically mugs and gags through his movies, but in his latest vehicle he plays it straight
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of gags
Joe Mutascio, IndyStar, 1 Apr. 2026
Some of the gags are inspired, some are exasperating, none of them are presented in a way that suggests the filmmakers know the difference, and all of them are shoved down your throat until they’re diminished enough to swallow.
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 31 Mar. 2026
But what was served up were stale, pale sketches that seemed to have been exhumed from some old codger’s book of gags from 19 bloody 50!
—Baz Bamigboye, Deadline, 21 Mar. 2026
One of the better gags of last night’s Academy Awards ceremony came at the very end of the show, even after the Best Picture winners’ speeches.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 16 Mar. 2026
The crowd was raucous with laughter throughout all of the film’s witty dialogue and visual gags, and cheered as the characters realized their goals on screen.
—Selome Hailu, Variety, 13 Mar. 2026
Join the hilarious hunt this Halloween season, where the only thing sharper than Dracula’s fangs are the gags that’ll leave you in stitches.
—Cincinnati Enquirer, 7 Mar. 2026
Packed with gags, this is a fun way to spend an afternoon.
—K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 6 Mar. 2026
Rather than letting the gags flit by quickly, the cast pauses endlessly after each utterance to milk the laughs.
—Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 27 Feb. 2026
Kevin Dolak, HollywoodReporter, 13 Jan. 2026
Some gags land, others don’t, and the script’s sudden bursts of melancholy dependably catch you in the gut.
—Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 9 Sep. 2025
Noun
Don't forget to dust off your favorite April Fool's gags today.
—Joe Mutascio, IndyStar, 1 Apr. 2026
Some of the gags are inspired, some are exasperating, none of them are presented in a way that suggests the filmmakers know the difference, and all of them are shoved down your throat until they’re diminished enough to swallow.
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 31 Mar. 2026
But what was served up were stale, pale sketches that seemed to have been exhumed from some old codger’s book of gags from 19 bloody 50!
—Baz Bamigboye, Deadline, 21 Mar. 2026
One of the better gags of last night’s Academy Awards ceremony came at the very end of the show, even after the Best Picture winners’ speeches.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 16 Mar. 2026
The crowd was raucous with laughter throughout all of the film’s witty dialogue and visual gags, and cheered as the characters realized their goals on screen.
—Selome Hailu, Variety, 13 Mar. 2026
Join the hilarious hunt this Halloween season, where the only thing sharper than Dracula’s fangs are the gags that’ll leave you in stitches.
—Cincinnati Enquirer, 7 Mar. 2026
Packed with gags, this is a fun way to spend an afternoon.
—K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 6 Mar. 2026
Rather than letting the gags flit by quickly, the cast pauses endlessly after each utterance to milk the laughs.
—Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 27 Feb. 2026
Verb
Speaking with Stern on post-Globes Monday for an episode that aired Tuesday, Glaser shared why gags about the current political climate were absent from the show.
—Kevin Dolak, HollywoodReporter, 13 Jan. 2026
Some gags land, others don’t, and the script’s sudden bursts of melancholy dependably catch you in the gut.
—Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 9 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gags
Noun
-
TikTok Reacts Viewers flooded the comments with theories and jokes.—
Lucy Notarantonio,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2026
-
On social media, make jokes that don’t follow logic or build toward a punch line, but rather rely on jump cuts and endless captions.—
Emily Menez,
New Yorker,
31 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Of course, the pranks are all in good fun, with owners keeping things safe and playful.—
Kendall Malinchock,
USA Today,
1 Apr. 2026
-
According to a 2025 roundup of April Fools’ food promotions by the New York Post, several national brands followed Dunkin’s lead by offering tangible rewards instead of traditional pranks.—
Amanda Greenwood,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Shows were led by a sentient wad of meat, a talk-show host who vomits in front of guests, and a reality-TV star who never shows his face.—
Eric Vilas-Boas,
Vulture,
18 Mar. 2026
-
Absinthe-eyed, she projectile-vomits blunt observations and also oysters onto the heavies, overimbibing her way into her own grave once she’s inevitably discarded with a shot and shove down a stairwell (a barely-there John Magaro plays one of the gangsters).—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
4 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Iran war chokes Gulf’s helium exports The war in Iran is choking supplies of helium, vital for technologies from AI chatbots to MRI scanners.—
Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson,
semafor.com,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Like other invasive plants, stinknet chokes native plants and increases fire risk.—
Shi En Kim,
AZCentral.com,
13 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Bauers clearly hit the base square in the middle, and the call was quickly overturned, leading to laughs from both managers, the Rays’ Kevin Cash and the Brewers’ Pat Murphy.—
Paul Sullivan,
Chicago Tribune,
2 Apr. 2026
-
On Broadway, Leon gets the bad laughs.—
Emily Nussbaum,
New Yorker,
2 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Tiffany has a few tricks up its sleeve that aren’t jewelry or limited-edition chronograph, one of which is this shapely teapot.—
Nicole Hoey,
Robb Report,
31 Mar. 2026
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Maybe the tricks learned during this trial can help drivers form some better, cheaper habits to continue when gas prices inevitably decrease again.—
Doug Turnbull,
AJC.com,
29 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Gags.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gags. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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