: characterized by insincerity, irony, or whimsical exaggeration
: with insincerity, irony, or whimsical exaggeration
Examples of tongue-in-cheek in a Sentence
Adverb
The whole interview was done tongue in cheek.
Recent Examples on the Web
Simone McCarthy, CNN, 31 Oct. 2024
Its tongue-in-cheek sensibility came through anyway, poking at horror tropes with clever visual gags and a comically oversized power drill.
—Katie Rife, EW.com, 29 Oct. 2024
Brian Grubb, Vulture, 7 Nov. 2024
Wearing a colorful beach hat emblazoned with hot dog icons, Stewart drew TV cameras and several dozen downtown merchants to her declaration — only slightly tongue in cheek — that Hard-Hittin’ New Britain deserves the title of alpha dog in the hot dog world.
—Don Stacom, Hartford Courant, 17 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for tongue-in-cheek 
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.
Adjective
Trump has at times captured tongue-in-cheek admiration across the Chinese internet.
—Simone McCarthy, CNN, 31 Oct. 2024
Its tongue-in-cheek sensibility came through anyway, poking at horror tropes with clever visual gags and a comically oversized power drill.
—Katie Rife, EW.com, 29 Oct. 2024
Adverb
There is no winking at the camera, no tongue in cheek — none of it.
—Brian Grubb, Vulture, 7 Nov. 2024
Wearing a colorful beach hat emblazoned with hot dog icons, Stewart drew TV cameras and several dozen downtown merchants to her declaration — only slightly tongue in cheek — that Hard-Hittin’ New Britain deserves the title of alpha dog in the hot dog world.
—Don Stacom, Hartford Courant, 17 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for tongue-in-cheek
Dictionary Entries Near tongue-in-cheek
Cite this Entry
“Tongue-in-cheek.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tongue-in-cheek. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share