1
: having barbs
2
: characterized by pointed and biting criticism or sarcasm
barbed witticisms
Synonyms of barbed
Examples of barbed in a Sentence
The candidates exchanged barbed comments during the debate.
barbed satire on American academia
Recent Examples on the Web
My grandmother started working at the age of 12 years old in a linen factory in Belfast, traveling through barbed wire and barricades every day, not to school but to a job to support her family.
—
CBS News, 20 Feb. 2026
My parents were just children when they were wrested from their homes into tarpaper barracks surrounded by barbed wire.
—Julie Morita, Chicago Tribune, 19 Feb. 2026
During the First World War, neither Axis nor Allied generals fully appreciated the devastating effects of machine guns and barbed wire.
—New Atlas, 19 Feb. 2026
These corporations are enabling violence on the streets and death behind barbed wire.
—Robert B. Reich, Hartford Courant, 12 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for barbed
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
CBS News, 20 Feb. 2026
My parents were just children when they were wrested from their homes into tarpaper barracks surrounded by barbed wire.
—Julie Morita, Chicago Tribune, 19 Feb. 2026
During the First World War, neither Axis nor Allied generals fully appreciated the devastating effects of machine guns and barbed wire.
—New Atlas, 19 Feb. 2026
These corporations are enabling violence on the streets and death behind barbed wire.
—Robert B. Reich, Hartford Courant, 12 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for barbed
Cite this Entry
“Barbed.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/barbed. Accessed 3 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
