1
as in spoof
a work that imitates and exaggerates another work for comic effect
the musical is a parody of every biblical epic ever made
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2
as in joke
a poor, insincere, or insulting imitation of something
the young man sported a feeble parody of a mustache in a vain attempt to make himself look older
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to mock
to copy or exaggerate (someone or something) in order to make fun of
parodying a public figure's distinctive mannerisms takes particular talent
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of parody
Dan Perry, Newsweek, 19 Feb. 2025
Most clicked yesterday: See S.N.L.’s greatest parodies of commercials.
—German Lopez, New York Times, 17 Feb. 2025
Jessica Bennett, VIBE.com, 18 Nov. 2024
West’s hellfire-and-locust symbolism parodied biblical judgment, but such shame no longer applies to current secular permissiveness or the progressive ideology in Marxist writer Mike Davis’s City of Quartz (1990), famous for its subversive condemnation of Los Angeles’s capitalist elitism.
—Armond White, National Review, 31 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for parody
Noun
The pathologies of bureaucracy that are attacked by Musk and ridiculed by popular parodies were warned of by sociologist Robert K. Merton, in 1936, as unanticipated negative consequences.
—Dan Perry, Newsweek, 19 Feb. 2025
Most clicked yesterday: See S.N.L.’s greatest parodies of commercials.
—German Lopez, New York Times, 17 Feb. 2025
Verb
During an interview taking place at New York Magazine’s Vulture Festival, Williams, 53, discussed his viral Club Shay Shay interview being parodied by the show, saying that while he’s been parodied on the weekly series a total of nine times over the years, he’s never received an invite to host.
—Jessica Bennett, VIBE.com, 18 Nov. 2024
West’s hellfire-and-locust symbolism parodied biblical judgment, but such shame no longer applies to current secular permissiveness or the progressive ideology in Marxist writer Mike Davis’s City of Quartz (1990), famous for its subversive condemnation of Los Angeles’s capitalist elitism.
—Armond White, National Review, 31 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for parody
Recent Examples of Synonyms for parody
Noun
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During the sketch, Kardashian, 44, sang along in the spoof of the Lawrence Welk Show with Fred Armisen as Welk and Will Ferrell as singer and actor Robert Goulet.—
Marina Watts,
People.com,
17 Feb. 2025
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But with that music cue, mixed with slo-motion and the absurdity of the repetition, the spoof morphed into a formalist art film.—
Harrison Richlin,
IndieWire,
11 Feb. 2025
Noun
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After a joke about Adam Sandler’s fashion sense, O’Brien suddenly changed tone to address the devastation of the wildfires in Los Angeles, and how an awards show can seem self-indulgent if that context was not addressed.—
Annie Aguiar,
New York Times,
3 Mar. 2025
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But from a pure comedy standpoint, the joke was just basic—and unfunny.—
Esther Zuckerman,
The Atlantic,
2 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Cuba’s foreign minister mocked NED on social media.—
Peter Roskam,
National Review,
26 Feb. 2025
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Musk also mocked people who criticized the order on X, noting that workers could respond by asking an AI chatbot — such as Grok, owned by X — to create a list of accomplished tasks.—
Mathew Rodriguez,
Them,
25 Feb. 2025
Noun
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These bits of satire don’t betray a lack of respect for the films that came before The Monkey so much as an understanding that the King adaptation is in dire need of a refresh.—
Louis Peitzman,
Vulture,
21 Feb. 2025
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If Demi Moore wasn’t going to win for her career-reviving performance in the horror satire The Substance, then surely British voters would reward Marianne Jean-Baptiste for her searing depiction of depression in Mike Leigh’s Hard Truths.—
Sarah Crompton,
Vogue,
17 Feb. 2025
Noun
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The Vice President’s face has been subject to mock meme edits for several months, as political commentators used editing tools to exaggerate his features and create child-like caricatures.—
Dani Di Placido,
Forbes,
8 Mar. 2025
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Amis’s caricatures retain their links to British reality; his observations about class, gender, and money still find their mark.—
Rachel Cusk,
Harper's Magazine,
19 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Gone were the regal ceremony and traditionalism, replaced by a humility intended to imitate Christ’s poverty.—
Timothy Nerozzi,
Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government,
28 Feb. 2025
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Xi has no reason to imitate Putin’s reckless break with Europe and the United States.—
Michael Kimmage,
Foreign Affairs,
25 Feb. 2025
Noun
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The show also announced that Alan Cumming will have a guest role in the season’s second episode, voicing a cartoon character named Mr. Ring-A-Ding who breaks out of his celluloid world.—
Rick Porter,
The Hollywood Reporter,
26 Feb. 2025
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Spiteful buys plain aluminum cans and applies an array of colorful cartoon labels during the packaging process to market its portfolio.—
Robert Channick,
Chicago Tribune,
25 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Brown revealed her new platinum blonde ‘do at the start of the month, before giving her locks their red carpet debut at Sunday’s 2025 SAG Awards.—
Kirsty Hatcher,
People.com,
28 Feb. 2025
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Historic Fed Takeover Attempts Before getting into what presidents have done, start with the 1913 creation of the Federal Reserve by Congress through the Federal Reserve Act.—
Erik Sherman,
Forbes,
28 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Parody.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/parody. Accessed 13 Mar. 2025.
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