Thesaurus.com
Dictionary.com
Definitions

wordplay

[wurd-pley] / ˈwɜrdˌpleɪ /
NOUN
acrostic
Synonyms
STRONG
acronym cipher composition phrase
NOUN
play on words
Synonyms
WEAK
bon mot double entendre double meaning equivocalness jeu de mots pun
NOUN
repartee
Synonyms
STRONGEST
banter pleasantry rejoinder retort sarcasm
STRONG
answer badinage comeback humor irony persiflage quip raillery reply response riposte sally satire wit witticism wittiness
WEAK
bon mot
Antonyms
STRONG
question request seriousness
WEAK
argument disagreement fight
NOUN
wit
Synonyms
STRONGEST
fun joke satire
STRONG
aphorism badinage banter burlesque drollery facetiousness gag jest jocularity lark levity pleasantry prank pun quip raillery repartee sally trick whimsicality wisecrack wittiness
WEAK
bon mot practical joke
Antonyms
STRONG
seriousness

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.

And Amy Nicholson of the LA Times concluded: "William Shakespeare wouldn't be wowed by this domestic drama about his home life back in Stratford-upon-Avon. Where's the action? The wit? The wordplay?"

From BBC • Jan. 2, 2026

He spun wordplay, philosophical debates and scientific principles into popular theatrical entertainment, landing a string of West End and Broadway hits, and won a best-screenplay Oscar for the smash Hollywood film “Shakespeare in Love.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 29, 2025

How wordplay and devilish games of deduction can be as satisfying to the soul as a song.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 21, 2025

Does Ellie have any sort of sense of wordplay?

From Salon • Nov. 2, 2025

That’s the kind of wordplay that a preschooler simply doesn’t understand.

From "The Tipping Point" by Malcolm Gladwell

From Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition Copyright © 2013 by the Philip Lief Group.