1
as in parody
a work that imitates and exaggerates another work for comic effect
the movie is a rib of the "dramatic love story" that was so popular in the 1950s
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2
as in joke
something said or done to cause laughter
began to lose his sense of humor after being the butt of his friends' ribs once too often
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of rib
Zack Sharf, Variety, 2 Jan. 2025
In addition to my go-to green ribs, some of my favorites are carnitas, chorizo (Mexican sausage), barbacoa, refried beans and fried potatoes.
—Lisa Lopez, Kansas City Star, 2 Jan. 2025
Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 15 Jan. 2025
That did not spare him from some gentle ribbing on Sunday at the Golden Globes.
—Derrick Bryson Taylor, New York Times, 10 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for rib 
Noun
His injuries included eight ribs broken in 14 places, right knee and ankle broken, left leg tibia broken, left ankle broken, right clavicle broken, right shoulder broken and more.
—Zack Sharf, Variety, 2 Jan. 2025
In addition to my go-to green ribs, some of my favorites are carnitas, chorizo (Mexican sausage), barbacoa, refried beans and fried potatoes.
—Lisa Lopez, Kansas City Star, 2 Jan. 2025
Verb
Many of the best scenes punctuate social analysis with ribbing humor.
—Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 15 Jan. 2025
That did not spare him from some gentle ribbing on Sunday at the Golden Globes.
—Derrick Bryson Taylor, New York Times, 10 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for rib
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rib
Noun
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By combining the monikers of two government agencies, the FBI: CIA title may inspire some sendups in the vein of Adult Swim’s crime procedural parody NTSF:SD:SUV::.—
Nellie Andreeva,
Deadline,
22 Jan. 2025
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Could one match the popularity of the parody of the Brooks & Dunn song?—
Laura Bauer,
Kansas City Star,
16 Jan. 2025
Noun
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But the visual jokes are dense and the look works for the setting and comedic ethos, reflecting the junky tourist-trap aesthetic that Mumolo and Wiig celebrate.—
Mark Olsen,
Los Angeles Times,
24 Jan. 2025
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To the show’s credit, Kitty was given a voice—but the joke was on her, as people failed to listen.—
Jennifer Vineyard,
Flow Space,
24 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Activision teases five new multiplayer maps being added to Black Ops 6 in the upcoming season, with two of them coming a few weeks after the update.—
Raul A. Reyes,
Newsweek,
23 Jan. 2025
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Though Evans comforted Bunny in person, Hot Ones made sure to tease him a little bit in post-production.—
Hannah Dailey,
Billboard,
23 Jan. 2025
Noun
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For Sony Repertory — studio executive Jeff Blake, who had hired him at Paramount, brought him there — Schlesinger was a vp who oversaw a 70mm restoration of Lawrence of Arabia (1962) and the release of the B-movie spoof The Lost Skeleton of Cadavra (1981).—
Mike Barnes,
The Hollywood Reporter,
13 Jan. 2025
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Neumayer detected the spoof by checking the headers and IDing the tool used.—
Ashley Belanger,
Ars Technica,
27 Dec. 2024
Noun
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After a few more laughs, Reynolds turned sentimental and shared some heartfelt words about Jackman.—
Mitchell Peters,
Billboard,
25 Jan. 2025
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My wife got a good laugh out of my fleeting optimism.—
Jon Greenberg,
The Athletic,
24 Jan. 2025
Verb
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All kidding aside, the Wild have surpassed the expectations of many, including The Athletic staff.—
Michael Russo,
The Athletic,
21 Jan. 2025
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Justin Sherman: The TikTok Discourse Is Nonsense Anyone who perceives that the Chinese government can't pick a tech company in its borders and coerce it to support state efforts is kidding themselves.—
Michael Gfoeller And David H. Rundell,
Newsweek,
16 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Not brilliant or ambitious in its satire, but solid.—
Andy Hoglund,
EW.com,
19 Jan. 2025
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In between his many obligations, Wood Jr. caught up with TIME to discuss his time in the food service industry, the impact of President Trump’s victory on satire, and whether the White House Correspondents’ Dinner was a tougher room than the Apollo Theater.—
Andrew R. Chow,
TIME,
16 Jan. 2025
Noun
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It’s also crafted from a rugged, 300-denier polyester PVC fabric that can handle everything from air travel to donkeys, yaks, and more esoteric (and hard-wearing) modes of transportation.—
Drew Zieff,
Outside Online,
20 Dec. 2024
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Karmo Tso, a young nomadic woman, milks a yak and prepares a traditional breakfast of yak butter tea, a salty, broth-like drink.—
Liam Freeman,
Vogue,
27 Nov. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near rib
Cite this Entry
“Rib.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rib. Accessed 31 Jan. 2025.
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