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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of banter
Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 1 May 2025
In 2011, the archives moved online, with more than 800 shows being made available for fans to purchase – complete with false starts, stage banter and audio dropouts.
—Tyler Jenke, Billboard, 30 Apr. 2025
Judy Berman, Time, 1 May 2025
In his confirmation hearing earlier this month, Oz bantered easily with senators on both sides of the aisle, about potato chips with committee Chair Mike Crapo of Idaho and playing basketball with Ranking Member Wyden.
—Selena Simmons-Duffin, NPR, 25 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for banter
Noun
But the banter is quick and Yelena and Alexei’s Russian accents are enjoyably hammy.
—Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 1 May 2025
In 2011, the archives moved online, with more than 800 shows being made available for fans to purchase – complete with false starts, stage banter and audio dropouts.
—Tyler Jenke, Billboard, 30 Apr. 2025
Verb
Her current comedy tour with Poehler reportedly finds the duo bantering in pajamas.
—Judy Berman, Time, 1 May 2025
In his confirmation hearing earlier this month, Oz bantered easily with senators on both sides of the aisle, about potato chips with committee Chair Mike Crapo of Idaho and playing basketball with Ranking Member Wyden.
—Selena Simmons-Duffin, NPR, 25 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for banter
Recent Examples of Synonyms for banter
Noun
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The site’s users took great joy in watching the feud in real time, responding to the showdown between the president and the world’s wealthiest man with jokes and memes.—
Dani Di Placido,
Forbes.com,
6 June 2025
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Surrounded by her animals at home, Lin watched re-runs of The Big Bang Theory, practicing the cadence of the words, the rising sound of a joke, the pacing of each phrase.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
6 June 2025
Noun
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There are a lot of fun moments during the annual Big Slick weekend in Kansas City, and the laughs are shared by the celebrities who take part as well as the audience at the softball game and the gala.—
Pete Grathoff,
Kansas City Star,
5 June 2025
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If a client senses that every friendly laugh and personal anecdote was just bait on the hook, the entire relationship collapses into a transaction.—
Alexander Puutio,
Forbes.com,
4 June 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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Most voters are worried about high prices for food, energy and housing, rather than their leader’s Oval Office repartee.—
Alexander Smith,
NBC news,
30 Mar. 2025
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For all his entertaining repartee, Hedges is keenly aware of when to lock in.—
Ken Rosenthal,
The Athletic,
25 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Sarkar writes with sharp humor and clarity, making complex ideas about power, identity and media feel accessible without dumbing them down.—
Newsweek Staff,
MSNBC Newsweek,
28 May 2025
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There’s a lot of humor to be found on screen between the two of them.—
Destiny Jackson,
Deadline,
27 May 2025
Noun
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On December 7, after a 4-2 defeat at Brentford, Newcastle were 12th in the table and, externally, there was chatter about Eddie Howe’s position.—
George Caulkin,
New York Times,
29 May 2025
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Suddenly, though, there is a confluence of intriguing points: The U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill that, if the chatter is to be believed, will see resistance in the Senate but that resistance will be about some combination of spending cuts and tax increases.—
Jim Cramer,
CNBC,
27 May 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 10 Jun. 2025.
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