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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Recent Examples of practical joke
At a lavish country house party, a practical joke appears to have gone horribly, murderously wrong.
—
Jake Kanter, Deadline, 4 Nov. 2025
With over 300 episodes to shoot, there was time for some practical jokes.
—Jordan Hoffman, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Sep. 2025
This is all some practical joke that’s being played on me.
—Michael Nied, People.com, 26 Aug. 2025
Jordan had thought he’d been set up for a practical joke.
—Mike Dojc, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for practical joke
Jake Kanter, Deadline, 4 Nov. 2025
With over 300 episodes to shoot, there was time for some practical jokes.
—Jordan Hoffman, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Sep. 2025
This is all some practical joke that’s being played on me.
—Michael Nied, People.com, 26 Aug. 2025
Jordan had thought he’d been set up for a practical joke.
—Mike Dojc, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for practical joke
Recent Examples of Synonyms for practical joke
Noun
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But the prank could come with legal consequences.—
Alexandra Banner,
CNN Money,
13 May 2026
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Students entered Christ The King Catholic High School after hours on April 22 to stage a senior prank.—
Rebecca Noel,
Charlotte Observer,
12 May 2026
Noun
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Winston makes a cameo to execute another electric Ford Field trick play, and the Giants lose a close one with their offense starting to find a new gear.—
Pat Leonard,
New York Daily News,
15 May 2026
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Sophisticated as chatbots’ responses may be, they are stitched together from statistical patterns in large datasets—an impressive trick but one that still falls short of the breadth and reliability in human-level clinical reasoning.—
Cody Cottier,
Scientific American,
15 May 2026
Noun
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Amenities and experiences The huge draw?—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
19 May 2026
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Seth and Lauren, who have been married since 2011, have been vocal about their personal experiences with Alzheimer's disease.—
Jack Smart,
PEOPLE,
19 May 2026
Noun
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Taking on this new stage of his career has been a fun adventure for Cedric, who has starred in CBS's sitcom The Neighborhood for eight seasons.—
Caroline Killilea,
PEOPLE,
17 May 2026
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The concierge will set up any adventure, and the service at the pool and beach is attentive.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
16 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Practical joke.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/practical%20joke. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
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