as in joking
marked by or expressive of mild or good-natured teasing
the lightly ribbing tone tipped me off that this wasn't a serious reprimand
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
as in teasing
to make fun of in a good-natured way
ribbed him a bit about fumbling such an easy play
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in mocking
Related Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of ribbing
Esther Kang, People.com, 24 Feb. 2025
The tequila comes in clear square bottles wrapped in ribbing, but the high-end extra anejo expression is jet black.
—Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 29 Apr. 2025
Fans also faced some ribbing from Grayson Waller, who gave a shout-out to his favorite NFL team, the Philadelphia Eagles.
—Joseph Hernandez, Kansas City Star, 29 Apr. 2025
The plastic handle includes ribbings and grooves to allow for a more comfortable positioning of the hand.
—Renee Freemon Mulvihill, Better Homes & Gardens, 29 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ribbing
Adjective
Kristen Bell is using her final moments as the 2025 SAG Awards host for some good old-fashioned ribbing!
—Esther Kang, People.com, 24 Feb. 2025
The tequila comes in clear square bottles wrapped in ribbing, but the high-end extra anejo expression is jet black.
—Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 29 Apr. 2025
Fans also faced some ribbing from Grayson Waller, who gave a shout-out to his favorite NFL team, the Philadelphia Eagles.
—Joseph Hernandez, Kansas City Star, 29 Apr. 2025
The plastic handle includes ribbings and grooves to allow for a more comfortable positioning of the hand.
—Renee Freemon Mulvihill, Better Homes & Gardens, 29 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ribbing
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ribbing
Verb
-
Seinfeld was clearly teasing, but sure enough, several headlines reported it as gospel with perhaps a mention three paragraphs in that it was intended to be humorous.—
Jenelle Riley,
Variety,
6 Jan. 2025
-
From teasing his retirement to becoming a minister and everything in between, here’s a look at the Hollywood star’s year of surprises.—
Stephanie Giang-Paunon,
Fox News,
5 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
For myself and many of my classmates, the four-story Forever 21 in Times Square was the most exciting part of our senior-class trip to New York City—not joking!—
Kaitlyn Tiffany,
The Atlantic,
18 Mar. 2025
-
And, everyone was joking about it behind his back.—
Todd Nordstrom,
Forbes,
14 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
And as trade speculation has risen, Harris reported a sarcastic one-word retort from the pitcher.—
Peter Chawaga,
MSNBC Newsweek,
28 July 2025
-
Before Black millennial shorthand even existed, there was Maxine Shaw, Attorney at Law—fiercely ambitious, sarcastic, soft in all the right places—and unapologetically Black.—
Shelby Stewart,
Essence,
22 July 2025
Noun
-
Even the title phrase, which Francis immediately fell for, falls pretty squarely in line with classic country wordplay and lyrical imagery.—
Andrew Unterberger,
Billboard,
21 July 2025
-
With the kind of lyrical prowess only Nicki can deliver, the track wasted no time trending on social media — fueled by her wordplay and the direct shots fired.—
Amber Corrine,
VIBE.com,
11 June 2025
Noun
-
After all the fussing and fidgeting exerted in trying to nail just the right mix of comic book action, comedy and pathos, the movie emerges as a tone-deaf mishmash of underdeveloped characters, half-baked humor and unhatched plotting drenched in CGI overkill.—
Michael Rechtshaffen,
HollywoodReporter,
12 July 2025
-
Clarkson delivered with her trademark blend of down-to-Earth humor and out-of-this-world vocals.—
Melissa Ruggieri,
USA Today,
12 July 2025
Noun
-
At the end of the week, after the Fed's meeting, investors will see more inflation data and the key monthly jobs report to see if the labor market continues to hold up despite the Trump's back-and-forth tariff barbs over the past few months.—
Medora Lee,
USA Today,
28 July 2025
-
There, candidates and state office holders trade barbs with their opponents and roast members of the other party.—
Hannah Pinski,
The Courier-Journal,
28 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ribbing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ribbing. Accessed 6 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share