Armani SyedMike Isaac and Lauren HirschMonique El-FaizyJohn Cassidy
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Confused about jibe and gibe? The distinction actually isn't as clear-cut as some commentators would like it to be. Jibe is used both for the verb meaning "to be in accord" or "agree" (as in "the results do not jibe with those from other studies") and for the nautical verb and noun referring to the act of shifting a sail from one side to the other ("jibe the mainsail," "a risky jibe in heavy seas"). Gibe is used as a verb and noun for derisive teasing or taunting. But jibe is also a recognized variant of gibe, so it too has teasing or taunting uses. Gibe has been used occasionally as a variant of jibe, but the use is not common enough to warrant dictionary entry, and is widely considered an error.
Synonyms
Examples of gibe in a Sentence
Jay Nordlinger, National Review, 4 Dec. 2023
But the Space Force decision was announced six months ago, and suggesting it’s at fault for the New Glenn delay doesn’t gibe with Blue’s previous statements.
—Tim Fernholz, Quartz, 26 Feb. 2021
IEEE Spectrum, 31 Jan. 2011
Since the beginning of the year, Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson and Washington County executive Josh Schoemann have tossed gibes back and forth after Schoemann invited city residents shop in his district to avoid the new taxes.
—Houston Keene, Fox News, 5 Jan. 2024
That aesthetic gibes well with the film’s coming-of-age narrative, in which a young boy turns into a man while learning a few life lessons in the process.
—Jordan Mintzer, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019
The British Empire represented a moment in international history that was passing at the time of Acheson’s 1962 gibe.
—Lawrence D. Freedman, Foreign Affairs, 13 Apr. 2020
Judi Dench, in a 2004 crossing, grows more convulsed with each gibe.
—Louis Bayard, Washington Post, 24 Apr. 2023
Putin’s speech drew a daylong series of gibes on social media, with Ukrainians pointing out that Moscow had suffered a series of humiliating defeats in the nearly one year since launching the full-scale invasion.
—Los Angeles Times, 21 Feb. 2023
The two men’s dislike for one another played out harmlessly for years, with gibes and rolled eyes.
—oregonlive, 15 Feb. 2023
While the term has come to be seen as an admirable quality in a leader who can overcome deficiencies that would doom anyone else, Mrs. Schroeder’s gibe was not intended as a compliment.
—Judi Hasson, Washington Post, 14 Mar. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'gibe.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Articles Related to gibe
Dictionary Entries Near gibe
Cite this Entry
“Gibe.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gibe. Accessed 3 Jun. 2024.
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