as in harassment
the act of making unwelcome intrusions upon another
stop that teasing before you make the baby cry
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
1
as in joking
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in taunting
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in kidding
to make fun of in a good-natured way
likes to tease her twin brother about his seemingly endless string of girlfriends
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in mocking
to attack repeatedly with mean put-downs or insults
grew up being teased because his parents were hog farmers
Synonyms & Similar 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 teasing
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
Squid Game star Lee Jung-jae and creator Hwang Dong-hyuk are teasing the third and final season of the Netflix series.
—Armando Tinoco, Deadline, 5 Jan. 2025
Colman Domingo is teasing an unrecognizable transformation as Jackson patriarch Joe in Antoine Fuqua’s upcoming Michael Jackson biopic.
—Jessica Wang, EW.com, 3 Jan. 2025
The Brat rollout also saw Charli teasing unfinished demos at underground raves to build anticipation.
—Jessica Lynch, Billboard, 30 Dec. 2024
Dua Lipa has been teasing a side part all year.
—Daisy Jones, Vogue, 30 Dec. 2024
The larger Star Wars story is a generational thing and Omega, in the epilogue, chooses to continue to rebel against the Empire (potentially teasing a follow-up series), yet the original Bad Batch manages to find peace and become more than just soldiers.
—Fran Ruiz, Space.com, 28 Dec. 2024
Tim Allen is teasing the return of Buzz Lightyear and Toy Story 5.
—James Hibberd, The Hollywood Reporter, 27 Dec. 2024
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
Squid Game star Lee Jung-jae and creator Hwang Dong-hyuk are teasing the third and final season of the Netflix series.
—Armando Tinoco, Deadline, 5 Jan. 2025
Colman Domingo is teasing an unrecognizable transformation as Jackson patriarch Joe in Antoine Fuqua’s upcoming Michael Jackson biopic.
—Jessica Wang, EW.com, 3 Jan. 2025
The Brat rollout also saw Charli teasing unfinished demos at underground raves to build anticipation.
—Jessica Lynch, Billboard, 30 Dec. 2024
Dua Lipa has been teasing a side part all year.
—Daisy Jones, Vogue, 30 Dec. 2024
The larger Star Wars story is a generational thing and Omega, in the epilogue, chooses to continue to rebel against the Empire (potentially teasing a follow-up series), yet the original Bad Batch manages to find peace and become more than just soldiers.
—Fran Ruiz, Space.com, 28 Dec. 2024
Tim Allen is teasing the return of Buzz Lightyear and Toy Story 5.
—James Hibberd, The Hollywood Reporter, 27 Dec. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for teasing
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
Verb
-
Bannon talked over and through Newsom’s questions, goading the governor at certain points, gently mocking him at others.—
Gal Beckerman,
The Atlantic,
20 Mar. 2025
-
In the essay, the 37-year-old recalled how Trachtenberg was often bullied by their peers, with kids mocking her for her role in Harriet the Spy.—
Josh Hammer,
Newsweek,
19 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
Many legal observers see the lawsuit as frivolous, but a settlement also been viewed as a way to appease the president at a time when the companies need the administration’s greenlight for the merger.—
Ted Johnson,
Deadline,
24 Apr. 2025
-
First Amendment experts have called Trump’s case frivolous.—
Stephen Battaglio,
Los Angeles Times,
22 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Extracting myself form the past and moving into the future has been enormously liberating and inspiring.—
Melissa Ruggieri,
USA Today,
24 Apr. 2025
-
The stakes are high, and the heels are higher, as married women across the nation compete for the coveted Mrs. America crown in this funny and inspiring documentary series.—
Jill Goldsmith,
Deadline,
17 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Connecticut productions of this comic drama are special because the film starred Connecticut icon Katharine Hepburn.—
Christopher Arnott,
Hartford Courant,
26 Apr. 2025
-
Gilroy’s dark wit has been used sparingly in Andor, but the sniping in between the disorganized sorta-rebels is a comic highlight.—
Jesse Hassenger,
Vulture,
23 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Also amusing is Fiona Glascott as Lady Violet, an old acquaintance of Sherlock’s who specializes officially in schooling young ladies like Clara to join British high society and unofficially in casting her imperious judgment everywhere.—
Angie Han,
HollywoodReporter,
15 Apr. 2025
-
And while the vision of Young, a vigorous 70 in his trademark schoolboy shorts, tie, crew socks and black shoes, is always amusing, there was nothing but serious respect for his finger-blistering playing.—
Melissa Ruggieri,
USA Today,
11 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
What’s funny about that is that Alexander appears to have some Leonard Williams to his game.—
Charlotte Carroll,
New York Times,
26 Apr. 2025
-
What started out curious is going to curiouser — funny, violent and wild.—
Tom Gliatto,
People.com,
25 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Our cerebral circuitry changes constantly—every day, new links are made amongst the 86 billion individual neurons in our heads, and old connections are allowed to fall away.—
Laura Baisas,
Popular Science,
17 Apr. 2025
-
Challenging, cerebral, but without taking itself too seriously?—
Liam Hess,
Vogue,
14 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Teasing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/teasing. Accessed 30 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share