Jibe means to agree with or match up with something else. When a witness's story jibes with the evidence, they support each other and tell the same story. When your answer to a math problem jibes with your friend's answer, you both got the same result, which probably means you're both right.

You might say “That doesn't jibe” when something seems off or contradictory. If your brother claims he never touched your art supplies but there's paint on his hands, his story doesn't jibe with the facts. The word often appears in detective stories and courtroom dramas when investigators check whether different pieces of evidence jibe with each other.

In sailing, jibe (sometimes spelled gybe) means something completely different: turning a boat so the wind hits the sail from the opposite side. This is a tricky maneuver because the sail swings rapidly across the boat.

The word jibe can also mean to tease or mock someone, though this meaning is less common today. You might encounter it in older books when one character jibes at another, making fun of them with sharp remarks.