as in joke
good-natured teasing or exchanging of clever remarks
members of the Algonquin Round Table were known for their brilliant and witty banter
Synonyms & Similar Words
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as in to joke
to make jokes
the teacher bantered pleasantly, albeit a bit awkwardly, with the students at the school dance
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of banter
Devlina Sarkar, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 July 2025
Promises to be full of dry banter in the face of historical upheaval and emotional calamity, which is my favorite Alameddine mode.
—Literary Hub
july 1, Literary Hub, 1 July 2025
David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 14 May 2025
As the parent of young children in the late 1990s and early 2000s, there was a phrase bantered around that was meant to keep children safe.
—Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 6 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for banter
Noun
From outdriving Tiger Woods while hungover to lighting up crowds with his wild outfits and on-course banter, the 2-time major champion has delivered some of golf's unforgettable moments.
—Devlina Sarkar, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 July 2025
Promises to be full of dry banter in the face of historical upheaval and emotional calamity, which is my favorite Alameddine mode.
—Literary Hub
july 1, Literary Hub, 1 July 2025
Verb
Ethan’s bantering rapport with his close collaborators Luther and Benji (Simon Pegg) is always pleasurable, though it’s limited here by how much time Ethan spends globe-hopping solo.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 14 May 2025
As the parent of young children in the late 1990s and early 2000s, there was a phrase bantered around that was meant to keep children safe.
—Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 6 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for banter
Recent Examples of Synonyms for banter
Noun
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Chinese officials in the eastern province of Zhejiang have put stand-up comics on notice to avoid jokes that could fuel resentment between the sexes.—
Micah McCartney,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 July 2025
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According to the site, there were allegedly posts that included fat-shaming and rape jokes, among other topics via the Q&A platform Curious Cat.—
Ilana Kaplan,
People.com,
24 July 2025
Noun
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Watch the scene where the three men stop at a bar in D.C. Meadows laughs for the first time — a shy, honest laugh.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
24 July 2025
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Nixon’s spirit drew appreciative laughs from the crowd throughout the competition.—
Calista Oetama,
Sacbee.com,
23 July 2025
Noun
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Each bus has a pair of hosts, whose badinage is corny but crowd-pleasing.—
Patricia Marx,
New Yorker,
5 May 2025
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In The Kitchen, Wesker tracked the decorum from friendly badinage to hostile vernacular that co-workers sustain just to get through the day.—
Armond White,
National Review,
30 Oct. 2024
Noun
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Balki and cousin Larry slipped right into their old repartee from the beloved ABC sitcom.—
Ryan Coleman Published,
EW.com,
14 July 2025
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His brother Richard Rosenthal is Somebody Feed Phil’s executive producer and showrunner; their on-camera repartee is a golden fan-favorite.—
Laura Manske,
Forbes.com,
18 June 2025
Noun
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Clarkson delivered with her trademark blend of down-to-Earth humor and out-of-this-world vocals.—
Melissa Ruggieri,
USA Today,
12 July 2025
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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
Noun
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There was the usual chatter about 'whether to rest the starters or not', but they good guys weren't going to lay down and hand those cocky Patriots a 16-0 record.—
Geoffrey Knox,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 July 2025
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If the enthusiasm for the F1 flick may have helped rev up ESPN2’s British Grand Prix deliveries—the July 6 race, won by McLaren’s Lando Norris, averaged 1.5 million viewers, up 19% versus the year-ago telecast—Cue’s offer may well supersede any chatter about linear TV ratings.—
Anthony Crupi,
Sportico.com,
10 July 2025
Noun
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With time, their caustic raillery transforms into sincere attachment.—
Charlie Tyson,
The Atlantic,
13 May 2021
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French’s evocation of place, a rural way of life and overall creepiness are superb, as is the dialogue, a festival of Irish raillery and repartee.—
Washington Post,
Washington Post,
14 Oct. 2020
Noun
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None of this will keep Republicans and conservatives from attacking the reconciliation bill with smoke, mirrors and persiflage.—
Michael Hiltzik,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Aug. 2022
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As Nixon’s political strategist, Kevin Phillips, told the New York Times in 1970: All the talk about Republicans making inroads into the Negro vote is persiflage.—
Jane Coaston,
Vox,
12 Oct. 2018
Cite this Entry
“Banter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/banter. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.
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