Tongue-in-cheek

A statement is tongue-in-cheek if it’s made in a lighthearted or joking manner, sometimes in an insincere or sarcastic way.

When rumors first started circulating about Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift, many commentators made tongue-in-cheek remarks about Kelce’s chances with the pop star.

Kelce may be a good player, but he’s nowhere near a superstar like Swift. Many people doubted that he was on her level, so their comments were sarcastic, joking, and lighthearted. They made a lot of tongue-in-cheek comments.

JR is much better in the kitchen than Jeff is. If Jeff has chicken and rice for dinner (again!), JR might remark, tongue-in-cheek, that the meal looks like it could be in a five-star restaurant.