as in prank
a playful or mischievous act intended as a joke
friends had left the risqué message on his voice mail as a practical joke
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of practical joke
Suffice to say, not since Squidward Tentacles celebrated April Fool’s Day has a practical joke gone so outrageously far.
—
Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 23 May 2025
The doctors, nurses, administrators and soldiers found a way to invoke humor through practical jokes to make their mission abroad bearable.
—Rachel Flynn, People.com, 10 May 2025
Shilo often posts videos to YouTube of himself impersonating Sanders or playing practical jokes on his dad.
—Lynsey Eidell, People.com, 28 Apr. 2025
Editor’s picks Looked at in the context of Lynch’s larger career — among the most remarkable in film history, but also among the most idiosyncratic — such wide-sweeping popularity almost feels like a practical joke by the universe on David Lynch, or perhaps vice versa.
—Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 16 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for practical joke
Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 23 May 2025
The doctors, nurses, administrators and soldiers found a way to invoke humor through practical jokes to make their mission abroad bearable.
—Rachel Flynn, People.com, 10 May 2025
Shilo often posts videos to YouTube of himself impersonating Sanders or playing practical jokes on his dad.
—Lynsey Eidell, People.com, 28 Apr. 2025
Editor’s picks Looked at in the context of Lynch’s larger career — among the most remarkable in film history, but also among the most idiosyncratic — such wide-sweeping popularity almost feels like a practical joke by the universe on David Lynch, or perhaps vice versa.
—Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 16 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for practical joke
Recent Examples of Synonyms for practical joke
Noun
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The marijuana photos that appeared this weekend when people googled Taylor Police Department were likely a prank that, for a moment, had some in the community snickering, including the deputy chief.—
Frank Witsil,
Freep.com,
14 July 2025
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What starts as a simple favor to keep her great-niece turns into a wild Halloween night filled with jump scares and pranks — but as usual, nothing frightens her more than bad manners and disrespect. Boo 2!—
Jane LaCroix,
People.com,
13 July 2025
Noun
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From fashion tips and tricks to tween and teen hair and nails, our back-to-school style guide has a little bit of everything.—
Kimberly Zapata,
Parents,
29 July 2025
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Over the years, Johnson has learned some tricks to help acquaint himself with new colleagues, from researching the background of management or coaches or looking up teammates on Madden to know a bit about their game.—
Ben Morse,
CNN Money,
28 July 2025
Noun
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Prime Development and Crestwood Custom Homes bring decades of experience and a reputation for excellence to every home.—
Prime Development,
Kansas City Star,
20 July 2025
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Overall, the new-gen Joy-Cons are solid improvements over the last, refining the play experience for Nintendo's latest hardware.—
Matt Kamen,
Wired News,
20 July 2025
Noun
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Gail and Alicia have been best friends for decades and this trip was a chance for the two to celebrate and have a grand adventure.—
Rebecca Angel Baer,
Southern Living,
21 July 2025
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Instead looks like a live-action colorful comic book adventure and is currently flying high in the box office with takings of $406.8 million after just 10 days in theaters.—
Caroline Reid,
Forbes.com,
21 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Practical joke.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/practical%20joke. Accessed 3 Aug. 2025.
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