japes 1 of 2

noun

plural of jape
as in jokes
something said or done to cause laughter by the standards of today's no-holds-barred satire, Will Rogers' homespun japes about politicians seem awfully gentle

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

japes

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of jape
as in jests
to make jokes the characters in Oscar Wilde's plays jape with a readiness and sophistication that is rarely, if ever, encountered in real life

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 japes
Noun
Zings, barbs, and japes fly between the two, but the banter soon gives way to grand action set pieces. — Entertainment Weekly, 10 Mar. 2026 That is when the japes really started, most prominently on a mid-season bonding trip to Barcelona when four players ‘borrowed’ a taxi after a late-night trip to McDonald’s. — Nick Miller, New York Times, 26 Oct. 2025 Before this fifth season put him closer to the center of the action, Roddy had undoubtedly been a misfit among misfits at Slough House, a desk jockey who would hold court at his computer, issuing snide japes at anyone within earshot. — Scott Tobias, Vulture, 8 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for japes
  1. jokes
  2. laughs
Noun
  • There was nothing particularly novel about the show’s premise, but the scripts were refreshingly dense with jokes, prioritizing laughs over contrived drama or seasonlong relationship arcs.
    — Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 28 Aug. 2026
  • The order, which directs federal officials to formalize the name change within 30 days, quickly sparked backlash, jokes and parody proposals.
    — Gabe Hauari, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of jokes
Noun
  • There was nothing particularly novel about the show’s premise, but the scripts were refreshingly dense with jokes, prioritizing laughs over contrived drama or seasonlong relationship arcs.
    — Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 28 Aug. 2026
  • The series remains perpetually glum, refusing to project any light behind a conceit begging for a few laughs.
    — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of laughs

Browse Nearby Words

japed
japes
japing
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Japes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/japes. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
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!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

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

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

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

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
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
skateboard-dog-hat
Wordmaxxing Slang Quiz Give your vocabulary a glow up by getting sendy w...
See All