as in insult
an act or expression showing scorn and usually intended to hurt another's feelings
delivered one last barb to his ex-girlfriend as he stalked away
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of barb
Kimmel and Damon have playfully traded barbs over the past two decades since that moment, roping others like Ben Affleck, Sarah Silverman, and Tom Brady into their shenanigans.
—
Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 4 Oct. 2025
While politicians continue to trade insults and barbs on social media over the partial federal government shutdown, federal officials have taken another step toward increasing the use of coal power.
—Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA Today, 3 Oct. 2025
For several days, Minaj and Card B have been embroiled in a vicious back-and-forth on the platform, with the two women trading sharp barbs about each other’s appearances and children.
—Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 3 Oct. 2025
Then the device dissolves into a person’s body like stitches, and the barbs holding it in place have growth hormones in them.
—Tabitha Parent, PEOPLE, 3 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for barb
Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 4 Oct. 2025
While politicians continue to trade insults and barbs on social media over the partial federal government shutdown, federal officials have taken another step toward increasing the use of coal power.
—Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA Today, 3 Oct. 2025
For several days, Minaj and Card B have been embroiled in a vicious back-and-forth on the platform, with the two women trading sharp barbs about each other’s appearances and children.
—Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 3 Oct. 2025
Then the device dissolves into a person’s body like stitches, and the barbs holding it in place have growth hormones in them.
—Tabitha Parent, PEOPLE, 3 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for barb
Recent Examples of Synonyms for barb
Noun
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Carter was sitting in her chair, listening to a lesson, when Octavius Johnson, a classmate who had a crush on her, started to fire off insults.—
Jeff Pearlman,
Rolling Stone,
17 Oct. 2025
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Politico counted 251 instances of derogatory insults in the group chat, interspersed with logistical conversations about social media strategies and collecting votes.—
Matthew Kelly,
Kansas City Star,
15 Oct. 2025
Noun
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While the track leans toward sarcasm, the soon-to-be-anthem perfectly captures a generational sentiment.—
Jessica Roiz,
Billboard,
17 Oct. 2025
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The sarcasm has passed down generations.—
Brian Anthony Hernandez,
PEOPLE,
27 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Barb.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/barb. Accessed 20 Oct. 2025.
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