gag 1 of 2

noun

Definition of gagnext
1
as in joke
something said or done to cause laughter the movie featured a gag involving a chicken driving a car that audiences thought was hysterically funny

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
as in prank
a playful or mischievous act intended as a joke played a gag on their teammate by putting shaving cream in his hat

Synonyms & Similar Words

gag

2 of 2

verb

ˈgag How to pronounce gag (audio)
1
as in to vomit
to discharge the contents of the stomach through the mouth the terrible smell of rotting fish made me gag

Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in to choke
to experience complete or partial blockage of the windpipe took a bite that was too large and began to gag

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to joke
to make jokes the actor typically mugs and gags through his movies, but in his latest vehicle he plays it straight

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 gag
Noun
All that’s needed to keep the cult of Phoebe growing is to leave us hanging on every word, whether the next line is a cosmic gag or an unexpectedly earnest profession of love. — Chris Willman, Variety, 9 Aug. 2026 On the show, there is a running gag of sorts about journalist Trent Crimm of the Independent. — Kansas City Star, 4 Aug. 2026
Verb
My mother felt grit on her skin and the fumes gagged her. — Literary Hub, 3 June 2026 This Spanish detective thriller The Marked Woman follows a pair of police officers who are assigned the case of an amnesiac woman found bound and gagged in a shipping container at the Port of Barcelona. — K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 27 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for gag
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gag
  1. joke
  2. prank
  3. vomit
  4. choke
  5. laugh
  6. trick
  7. joking
Noun
  • There are moments, say at a fan’s family home in Casablanca, when a joke gets lost in translation.
    — Lale Arikoglu, Condé Nast Traveler, 17 Aug. 2026
  • And then there’s the Ren Faire episode, where a McPoyle brothers’ cameo portends a closing joke so distressing my innocent little brain rejected all the warnings of its arrival.
    — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of joke
Noun
  • Root had also worked with Rhys on Perry Mason and was quite literally along for the ride with his behind-the-scenes pranks on that show.
    — Antonia Blyth, Deadline, 14 Aug. 2026
  • The prank consisted of 50 individuals simultaneously ordering a Waymo on the same dead-end street, creating a pileup that made the company disable rides until the next morning.
    — Joshua Hong, Fortune, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of prank
Verb
  • On the planes that took him across the world, Luwi vomited much of the way.
    — Rachel Aviv, New Yorker, 17 Aug. 2026
  • Videos shared on social media show Djokovic falling to his knees and appearing to vomit into a towel.
    — Desiree Anello, PEOPLE, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of vomit
Verb
  • After multiple attempts to stave off its death over the decades, it is being choked by the chains and cables meant to support it.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 24 Aug. 2026
  • Their findings prompted bans on phosphorus-laden detergents that were supercharging algae blooms choking the Great Lakes.
    — Michael Hawthorne, Chicago Tribune, 23 Aug. 2026
Definition of choke
Noun
  • Gone was the terror of wondering if the piece that was about to air was going to get big enough laughs from the live audience.
    — Merrill Markoe, Deadline, 21 Aug. 2026
  • But that blend of raucous laughs (OK, well, some raucous laughs, some mere attempts at them) and real world concerns makes for an uneasy watch, ping-ponging between moods and tones in unpredictable ways.
    — Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of laugh
Noun
  • Messi was instrumental in Argentina’s route to the final, opening his World Cup with a hat-trick against Algeria and scoring in each of his team’s matches up to and including the round of 16.
    — Cerys Jones, New York Times, 22 Aug. 2026
  • The key manufacturing trick was direct ink writing, a form of 3D printing.
    — Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of trick
Noun
  • Back in December 1968, Dolan wrote a joking column about the earlier Lake Worth monster, from way back in 1947.
    — Star-Telegram staff, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 10 July 2026
  • Oh, but the Padres manager was ready with the joking last night.
    — Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 June 2026
Definition of joking

Browse Nearby Words

gaffs
gag
gaga
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Gag.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gag. Accessed 25 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on gag

Nglish: Translation of gag for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of tilde

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

How to Pronounce the Trickiest Menu Items

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Words of the Week - Aug. 21

16 Glee-ridden Words from Schitt's Creek
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
alt-684346df967d5
Add A Letter Quiz Pick the letter that goes in the same spot in fou...
See All