making sport of

phrase

present participle of make sport of
as in ridiculing
to make (someone or something) the object of unkind laughter The commentator often makes sport of the fashion choices of the famous.

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for making sport of
  1. making fun of
  2. poking fun at
Phrase
  • Obviously, our way in was through nostalgia and the era with slime and Gak, making fun of ourselves and self-deprecation.
    — Kimberly Nordyke, HollywoodReporter, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Farrar’s tweet, Phillips said, plays off the dynamic of liberals getting up in arms, and people then making fun of liberals for getting up in arms.
    — David Mack, CNN Money, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of making fun of
Phrase
  • The speech is a stark example of a broader tone shift by Carney, who in recent months appears to have become more comfortable poking fun at the US leader.
    — Lex Harvey, CNN Money, 23 Sep. 2026
  • After poking fun at the 37-year-old, Bedard gushed at the chance to take the ice with Kane.
    — Kalen Lumpkins, Chicago Tribune, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of poking fun at
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.

Browse Nearby Words

making shift
making sport of
making the grade
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Making sport of.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/making%20sport%20of. Accessed 13 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of abscond

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

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

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

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

The Words of the Week - Oct. 9

Why do we call it a 'flea market'?
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
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
a cup of tea and a golf ball on tee side by side
Quiz: Sounds Like... Choose the word that sounds like it fits the clue...
See All