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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of acerbic
Roach and his creative team, most of whom came from the UK, keep it feeling very American, but there are distinctly British elements that come through, not least in the acerbic British wit.
—
Simon Thompson, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2025
Where the strain required for a tenor to hit that upper register lends these verses an acerbic, explosive edge, a countertenor can approach the same lines with lamblike lyricism, as Mobley did.
—Hannah Edgar, Chicago Tribune, 16 Aug. 2025
That movie was an acerbic portrait of a friendship gone sour, laced with barbed insults.
—Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 6 Aug. 2025
With further prompting and training, the model was able to come much closer to Rubin’s acerbic, anti-PC style.
—Andrew R. Chow, Time, 1 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for acerbic
Simon Thompson, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2025
Where the strain required for a tenor to hit that upper register lends these verses an acerbic, explosive edge, a countertenor can approach the same lines with lamblike lyricism, as Mobley did.
—Hannah Edgar, Chicago Tribune, 16 Aug. 2025
That movie was an acerbic portrait of a friendship gone sour, laced with barbed insults.
—Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 6 Aug. 2025
With further prompting and training, the model was able to come much closer to Rubin’s acerbic, anti-PC style.
—Andrew R. Chow, Time, 1 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for acerbic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for acerbic
Adjective
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Notably absent was Jennette McCurdy, who played Carly's sarcastic sidekick Sam in the original series.—
Anna Kaufman,
USA Today,
25 Sep. 2025
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Denise – scrappy, sarcastic, and clever – at first was hostile towards Steven, but that passionate annoyance later evolved into teasing, affectionate companionship.—
Sarah John,
Vulture,
24 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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And the show has to be satirical.—
Wesley Stenzel,
Entertainment Weekly,
28 Sep. 2025
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Kuang's latest is a satirical look at the brutal nature of academia.—
Carly Tagen-Dye,
PEOPLE,
27 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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One way is when iron-rich rock is exposed to high temperatures and acidic conditions, but neither are evident in the area around Cheyava Falls.—
Keith Cooper,
Space.com,
1 Oct. 2025
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That occurs when the body runs out of insulin and starts burning fat for fuel, which can lead the blood to become dangerously acidic.—
Jonathan Lambert,
NPR,
29 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The pair have traded many barbed comments since Khan was elected to lead London in 2016 — Khan strongly criticized the president the same year for pledging a travel ban on a number of majority-Muslim countries, which was enacted in 2017.—
Patrick Smith,
NBC news,
24 Sep. 2025
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Protests outside the Broadview facility continued midday Friday, with a handful of demonstrators holding up signs and cellphones toward a fence topped with barbed wire, video from the scene shows.—
Alisha Ebrahimji,
CNN Money,
19 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Drinking coffee may stimulate an increase in acid production in the stomach.—
Carrie Madormo,
Verywell Health,
6 Sep. 2025
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This touchscreen pod machine has a lot to offer, including rich, balanced, coffee; a whopping eight brewing sizes; one-touch presets for low-acid, Americano, iced coffee, and cold brew; plus customizable temperature control and brew strength.—
Mark Marino,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
29 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Acerbic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/acerbic. Accessed 2 Oct. 2025.
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