as in badinage
good-natured teasing or exchanging of clever remarks
Luke had to put up with a lot of raillery from his sister the first time he asked a girl for a date
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of raillery
With time, their caustic raillery transforms into sincere attachment.
—
Charlie Tyson, The Atlantic, 13 May 2021
French’s evocation of place, a rural way of life and overall creepiness are superb, as is the dialogue, a festival of Irish raillery and repartee.
—Washington Post, 14 Oct. 2020
Some may feel, in this Trumpus Caesar summer, that such raillery, let alone the underlying idea of trying to understand why Americans have shot presidents, is an untoward or trite provocation.
—Jesse Green, New York Times, 13 July 2017
Charlie Tyson, The Atlantic, 13 May 2021
French’s evocation of place, a rural way of life and overall creepiness are superb, as is the dialogue, a festival of Irish raillery and repartee.
—Washington Post, 14 Oct. 2020
Some may feel, in this Trumpus Caesar summer, that such raillery, let alone the underlying idea of trying to understand why Americans have shot presidents, is an untoward or trite provocation.
—Jesse Green, New York Times, 13 July 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for raillery
Noun
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In The Kitchen, Wesker tracked the decorum from friendly badinage to hostile vernacular that co-workers sustain just to get through the day.—
Armond White,
National Review,
30 Oct. 2024
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While Hawley hasn’t left behind any of his signature philosophical dialogue or memorable badinage, Season 5 is also the most reliant on the camera to make its points.—
Jim Hemphill,
IndieWire,
13 Aug. 2024
Noun
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Expect plenty of laughs, heartfelt moments, and unforgettable speeches as Hollywood's finest take the stage.—
Dan Perry,
Newsweek,
2 Mar. 2025
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The free event will bring together some of Miami’s top comedians, including Paula Barros, Carlos Hernandez, and Kyle Grooms, for a night of belly-aching laughs, tasty craft brews, and that unmatched 305 energy.—
Amber Love Bond,
Forbes,
28 Feb. 2025
Noun
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After a joke about Adam Sandler’s fashion sense, O’Brien suddenly changed tone to address the devastation of the wildfires in Los Angeles, and how an awards show can seem self-indulgent if that context was not addressed.—
Annie Aguiar,
New York Times,
3 Mar. 2025
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For the monologue, Gillis pushed his luck early, starting with some jokes about how hilarious Trump has been in office, and how former President Biden was also funny.—
Omar L. Gallaga,
Los Angeles Times,
2 Mar. 2025
Noun
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The children ice a birthday cake; Alec Baldwin cleans up toys; the boys get summer haircuts; and the parents, who are both executive producers of the show, banter over their 26-year age gap.—
Julia Jacobs,
New York Times,
24 Feb. 2025
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There’s a blandly attractive ensemble trading dutifully quippy banter.—
Angie Han,
The Hollywood Reporter,
21 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Whenever O’Brien was onstage, balancing impish humor with a palpable love for movies and compassion for an industry where so many recently lost so much to the wildfires that ravaged Los Angeles, the ceremony felt light and loose.—
Judy Berman,
TIME,
3 Mar. 2025
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That also included the decision on saving O’Brien’s references to the fires until later in his monologue — and to add humor to the firefighters’ appearance during the broadcast.—
Michael Schneider,
Variety,
3 Mar. 2025
Noun
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For all his entertaining repartee, Hedges is keenly aware of when to lock in.—
Ken Rosenthal,
The Athletic,
25 Feb. 2025
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Ally and Jay are both sarcastic, too — their best lines are muttered under their breaths — and their repartee becomes more interesting than the bloody theatrics.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
5 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Trump’s playful and public ribbing of one of the world’s most prominent media moguls underscored the years-long on-again, off-again relationship between the president and publishing tycoon, one that political and media observers told The Hill this week has reached a critical new stage.—
Dominick Mastrangelo,
The Hill,
9 Feb. 2025
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At a 10th anniversary screening at the 2011 New York Film Festival, Anderson and ensemble members Anjelica Huston, Bill Murray and Gwyneth Paltrow indulged in some good-natured ribbing of Hackman’s irascibility on the shoot.—
David Rooney,
The Hollywood Reporter,
3 Sep. 2019
Noun
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Not wind but a chaff of pollen choking in that whirl.—
David Baker,
The Atlantic,
8 Dec. 2024
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So to me, it’s always been the later draft rounds that separate the fantasy wheat from the chaff.—
John Laghezza,
The Athletic,
20 Aug. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Raillery.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/raillery. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.
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