as in to tease
to attack repeatedly with mean put-downs or insults
the principal reminded the student athletes that taunting their opponents was not showing good sportsmanship
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
as in jeer
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of taunt
Foreign Affairs, 19 Aug. 2025
There was the infamous taunt, pointing to her ring finger during the NCAA championship game against Iowa, moments after Reebok signed her in an initial NIL deal.
—Tiana Randall, Forbes.com, 14 Aug. 2025
Ellise Shafer, Variety, 9 Oct. 2025
In an age where departments of the United States government apparently engage in internet beef with musicians, Homeland Security is taunting Zach Bryan by using one of his songs in a video glorifying immigration enforcement officers.
—Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 8 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for taunt
Verb
Plato fled Syracuse, humiliated by the tyrants’ taunts.
—Foreign Affairs, 19 Aug. 2025
There was the infamous taunt, pointing to her ring finger during the NCAA championship game against Iowa, moments after Reebok signed her in an initial NIL deal.
—Tiana Randall, Forbes.com, 14 Aug. 2025
Noun
Often taunted by tabloids for her unsmiling demeanor, Victoria shows off her sense of humor and gets real about some of the most difficult parts of her past, including her struggles with an eating disorder and almost losing her fashion business entirely.
—Ellise Shafer, Variety, 9 Oct. 2025
In an age where departments of the United States government apparently engage in internet beef with musicians, Homeland Security is taunting Zach Bryan by using one of his songs in a video glorifying immigration enforcement officers.
—Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 8 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for taunt
Recent Examples of Synonyms for taunt
Verb
-
Jenner, 28, began teasing the song earlier in the day on Monday, sharing the cover art in a post to her Instagram account.—
Amy McCarthy,
PEOPLE,
14 Oct. 2025
-
SpaceX teases a return to eye-catching booster landings After using most of its fuel and propelling Starship toward space, the Super Heavy on Monday safely broke away from the upper Starship spacecraft and veered back toward Earth.—
Jackie Wattles,
CNN Money,
14 Oct. 2025
Noun
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As his father read drafts of the Declaration of Independence, William was carted off, to jeers and insults.—
Stacy Schiff,
The Atlantic,
8 Oct. 2025
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Throughout the weekend, McIlroy and other European players sparred with fans, provoking the Irish golfer in at least one instance to yell back at the crowd, while others flashed middle fingers in response to the jeers.—
Anna Lazarus Caplan,
PEOPLE,
30 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
One of the challenges for me as biographer was not to trivalize this obsession, not to mock it in any way.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
14 Oct. 2025
-
Their mother began a relationship with a swaggering alcoholic, their future stepfather, who mocked Scott for being soft.—
Eren Orbey,
New Yorker,
13 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Anderson plunges the audience into the rebels’ point of view, immersing us in the recalcitrant pride and swagger of Perfidia Beverly Hills, a revolutionary leader played by Teyana Taylor with a hypnotic sneer of defiance.—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
17 Sep. 2025
-
Jacob sneers, but doesn’t even wait for his son to answer.—
Kimberly Roots,
TVLine,
15 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
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
-
Leno later said he felt humiliated by Kimmel’s jibe.—
Greg Evans,
Deadline,
19 Sep. 2025
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The foolishness of the governor’s gibe was underscored by the progressive, staunchly anti-Trump Democratic mayor of San Jose.—
U T Editorial Board,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
6 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Lundgren spoke about leadership and teamwork, but not before managing one quip.—
David Moin,
Footwear News,
17 Oct. 2025
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In the end, buzzwords may have a short shelf life, but the responsibility of leadership to step in and help prevent the issues that drive these quips is forever.—
Dave Smith,
Fortune,
17 Oct. 2025
Noun
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This is an affront to human dignity and that’s incredibly terrifying.—
Khaleda Rahman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Oct. 2025
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This was quite an affront to the members of De Stijl who believed otherwise.—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
15 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Taunt.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/taunt. Accessed 22 Oct. 2025.
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