tongue-in-cheek

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

“If you must join a movement,” he advises, tongue-in-cheek, “make sure there’s dancing.”

From Salon • Mar. 6, 2026

That's the conundrum at the heart of "The Moment," a tongue-in-cheek mockumentary starring Charli XCX as she grapples with her meteoric rise to fame and tries to prepare for a sell-out arena tour.

From Barron's • Jan. 24, 2026

But what transpired was a kind of tongue-in-cheek muscle-man competition that gave each of the men a solo excursion as if emulating the “talent portion” of such affairs.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 20, 2026

The sentiment is tongue-in-cheek, but the feeling behind it is not.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 18, 2026

She gave me an A on the written report, saying she liked my tongue-in-cheek approach to criticism, but warned me to clean up the language and watch my run-on sentences.

From "Anthem of a Reluctant Prophet" by Joanne Proulx