as in joking
marked by or expressive of mild or good-natured teasing
a joshing response to my earnest question
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
as in joke
good-natured teasing or exchanging of clever remarks
for all his joshing, he can be very serious when he needs to be
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in kidding
to make fun of in a good-natured way
don't get all hot and bothered! I'm just joshing you
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in jesting
to make jokes
a very outgoing man who joshes with everyone he meets
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of joshing
H. Alan Scott, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 Aug. 2025
Demetrios Matheou, HollywoodReporter, 22 Nov. 2025
Cheryl — who jumped in the mosh pit briefly at the first party — hung out in the back, sitting on her walker and gently joshing Erika’s young son for wearing earplugs while a singer screamed into the microphone.
—Ariane Lange, Sacbee.com, 13 Nov. 2025
Noun
The humorous joshing and teasing that came out of their initial love just gets worse and worse.
—H. Alan Scott, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 Aug. 2025
Verb
Cranston and Essiedu convey a father-son bond of unusual closeness — hugging, play-fighting, joshing; but this physical proximity will be repeated at the end of the play to devastatingly different effect.
—Demetrios Matheou, HollywoodReporter, 22 Nov. 2025
Cheryl — who jumped in the mosh pit briefly at the first party — hung out in the back, sitting on her walker and gently joshing Erika’s young son for wearing earplugs while a singer screamed into the microphone.
—Ariane Lange, Sacbee.com, 13 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for joshing
Noun
-
No this is not a joke…Retro Weather Channel is officially back!—
Tony Maglio,
HollywoodReporter,
2 Apr. 2026
-
The response to the outcry led to even more jokes online.—
Bennett Conlin,
Baltimore Sun,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
DeVos wasn’t kidding, and on Monday, in front of close friends and family, current and former Magic executives and employees and local community leaders, a plaque was unveiled with Martins’ name on it at the Orlando Magic Hall of Fame that’s located in Kia Center on the terrace level.—
Jason Beede,
The Orlando Sentinel,
23 Mar. 2026
-
McKneely wasn’t kidding about the staples being removed.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
19 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Comedian Charlie Berens also popularized the ritual, joking that it can be broken down into recognizable steps.—
Deirdre Bardolf,
FOXNews.com,
29 Mar. 2026
-
Over the radio, Bing Crosby is crooning, Bob Hope is joking, and news of the war — against Hitler, against Japan — keeps sizzling and crackling across the dial.—
Patt Morrison,
Los Angeles Times,
26 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
-
Write a quick Easter joke on a sheet of paper and include it in your kids' lunch boxes the week of Easter for a sweet midday laugh, caption an Instagram post, or leave some surprise puns inside Easter eggs at the hunt.—
Nellah Bailey McGough,
Southern Living,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks have been back on speaking terms for a few months thanks to the rerelease of their debut album, Buckingham Nicks, and now the diva himself is teasing that 2026 could serve as a reunion of sorts for the famously estranged exes.—
Devon Ivie,
Vulture,
27 Mar. 2026
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There was no indication of the context of the posts, which racked up millions of views, with many online commenters theorizing the accounts could have been hacked or that an official was cryptically teasing something.—
Dylan Butts,
CNBC,
26 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Evans' snarky banter — ripped straight from the Movie Villain 101 playbook — combined with Gosling's Jason Bourne impression, makes for a wild ride.—
Kevin Jacobsen,
Entertainment Weekly,
31 Mar. 2026
-
The banter and mischief continued until Balmoral.—
Katie Nicholl,
Vanity Fair,
30 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Any amount of singing or jesting will be heard by all.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
24 Mar. 2026
-
Language There’s some crude language, jesting, and mature comedic themes, but but nothing the modern tween or teen hasn’t seen or heard before.—
Lynnette Nicholas,
Parents,
8 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
Left on their own, boisterous badinage between old school British thespian Shaw and giggly, hyper-ventilating wannabe movie star Dreyfuss has taken hold.—
Christopher Smith,
Oc Register,
10 Mar. 2026
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The action flows, the badinage is fast and fun.—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
28 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Joshing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/joshing. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
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