in-joke

noun

ˈin-ˌjōk How to pronounce in-joke (audio)
-ˈjōk
: a joke for or about a select group of people

Examples of in-joke in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Things seem to be taking care of themselves, especially after Stoller (gamely playing himself) delivers a perfectly serviceable pitch for a Kool-Aid movie involving in-jokes about other logos, family togetherness, and female empowerment that Matt knows is what Griffin is looking for. Keith Phipps, Vulture, 26 Mar. 2025 Iconography from the Party’s various memes and in-jokes was everywhere—from coconuts to 2016 and 2020 campaign merch. Erin Neil, The New Yorker, 25 Mar. 2025 Tom Stoppard co-wrote the script and has such affection for Shakespeare that the film is chock-full of in-jokes for Bard aficionados. Will Leitch, Vulture, 3 Mar. 2025 My long-distance boyfriend often addressed letters with silly names or in-jokes. A.s. King, TIME, 21 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for in-joke

Word History

First Known Use

1964, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of in-joke was in 1964

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Cite this Entry

“In-joke.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/in-joke. Accessed 14 Apr. 2025.

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