as in sarcastic
marked by the use of wit that is intended to cause hurt feelings
whispered a steady stream of acerbic comments as the lecturer droned on
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Recent Examples of acerbic
Gary Oldman plays the acerbic Jackson Lamb, the odoriferous chief of Slough House where MI5 agents who just can’t cut it – or who are being punished for one reason or another – are sent.
—
Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 3 June 2025
Even the most vegan among us can’t resist a bleeding slice of Broadway beef: Andrew Lloyd Webber, President Trump, and Madonna have all been targets of her acerbic commentary.
—Raven Smith, Vogue, 28 May 2025
Jean Smart has earned three Emmys for her portrayal of acerbic Vegas comedy legend Deborah Vance, and Hannah Einbinder has established her career bona fides (and earned three Emmy nominations) as Deborah’s not-exactly-loyal employee, 20-something comedy writer Ava Daniels.
—Akiva Gottlieb, Los Angeles Times, 22 May 2025
Makary, for instance, has been hailed for pioneering several surgical procedures; in the 2010s, Prasad, a hematologist-oncologist, gained recognition for his rigorous—albeit acerbic—takes on precision medicine and cancer drugs.
—Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 17 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for acerbic
Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 3 June 2025
Even the most vegan among us can’t resist a bleeding slice of Broadway beef: Andrew Lloyd Webber, President Trump, and Madonna have all been targets of her acerbic commentary.
—Raven Smith, Vogue, 28 May 2025
Jean Smart has earned three Emmys for her portrayal of acerbic Vegas comedy legend Deborah Vance, and Hannah Einbinder has established her career bona fides (and earned three Emmy nominations) as Deborah’s not-exactly-loyal employee, 20-something comedy writer Ava Daniels.
—Akiva Gottlieb, Los Angeles Times, 22 May 2025
Makary, for instance, has been hailed for pioneering several surgical procedures; in the 2010s, Prasad, a hematologist-oncologist, gained recognition for his rigorous—albeit acerbic—takes on precision medicine and cancer drugs.
—Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 17 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for acerbic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for acerbic
Adjective
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Mamdani joined her for a sarcastic infomercial on her account, criticizing Mayor Adams’ record.—
CT Jones,
Rolling Stone,
26 June 2025
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Teaming up with Rebels like the enigmatic Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) and the sarcastic droid K-2SO (Alan Tudyk), Jyn’s quest for salvation and redemption runs right up to the beginning of the original film, Star Wars: A New Hope.—
Mekishana Pierre,
EW.com,
26 June 2025
Adjective
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The poem is part love quest, part account of Italy’s battles; in places profoundly serious, in places satiric.—
The New Yorker,
New Yorker,
11 June 2025
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Neither damning nor satiric, W. is oddly wistful, almost regretful — rare sentiments in a Stone film.—
Will Leitch,
Vulture,
17 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Rowling frequently posts acidic commentary about trans people, and very rarely about the upcoming Harry Potter series (oddly enough, Rowling still publishes crime fiction under her male pseudonym, Robert Galbraith).—
Dani Di Placido,
Forbes.com,
30 June 2025
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Rainfall leaches elements that impart alkalinity, such as magnesium and calcium, out of the soil, rendering it acidic.—
Joshua Siskin,
Oc Register,
28 June 2025
Adjective
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The center was built in eight days and features more than 200 security cameras, 28,000-plus feet of barbed wire and 400 security personnel.—
arkansasonline.com,
arkansasonline.com,
4 July 2025
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But reminders of past pains linger — a fence still stretches across a large swath of the park’s borders, topped in one section by barbed wire and with a new gate installed to halt entry outside of park hours.—
Austin Hornbostel,
The Tennessean,
2 July 2025
Adjective
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The floors are done in chestnut-toned wood, with acid green carpets made from bamboo silk, while the VVIP suite has its own private sitting room.—
Samantha Conti,
Footwear News,
11 June 2025
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Fluoride also replaces minerals lost from teeth due to acid breakdown, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.—
Mary Kekatos,
ABC News,
3 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Acerbic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/acerbic. Accessed 13 Jul. 2025.
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