1
as in victim
a person or thing that is the object of abuse, criticism, or ridicule
the hapless vice president quickly became the favorite target of late-night comedians
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in joke
a person or thing that is made fun of
a badly made TV commercial that became the target of lots of jokes
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in goal
something that one hopes or intends to accomplish
our target is to raise $100,000 for a new playground by August
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to taunt
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of target
Freddie Clayton, NBC news, 28 Mar. 2026
Toronto, Edmonton, and Calgary are the first targets.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 28 Mar. 2026
Azhar Sukri, CNBC, 22 Mar. 2026
Iran responded by threatening to target energy facilities and water desalination plants across the region.
—J.d. Capelouto, semafor.com, 22 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for target
Noun
Iran has also signaled that the waterway could become a target.
—Freddie Clayton, NBC news, 28 Mar. 2026
Toronto, Edmonton, and Calgary are the first targets.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 28 Mar. 2026
Verb
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf promised on Sunday to target regional energy facilities if his country’s power plants are hit.
—Azhar Sukri, CNBC, 22 Mar. 2026
Iran responded by threatening to target energy facilities and water desalination plants across the region.
—J.d. Capelouto, semafor.com, 22 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for target
Recent Examples of Synonyms for target
Noun
-
Both victims were under age 5 at the time of the crime, according to the statement.—
Lillie Davidson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
28 Mar. 2026
-
Police say identifying additional victims or witnesses will be critical as the investigation continues.—
Jamie Leary,
CBS News,
28 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
No this is not a joke…Retro Weather Channel is officially back!—
Tony Maglio,
HollywoodReporter,
2 Apr. 2026
-
The response to the outcry led to even more jokes online.—
Bennett Conlin,
Baltimore Sun,
2 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Hosting the biggest weekend in college basketball would be ideal, Orr and Wood of Sacramento State said, a goal shared by Visit Sacramento.—
Joe Davidson,
Sacbee.com,
31 Mar. 2026
-
In 73 career regular-season games with the Sirens and Ottawa Charge, Roese has accumulated 25 points (3 goals, 22 assists).—
Twin Cities,
Twin Cities,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The hawks are practically taunting the populists for their lack of influence.—
Jonathan Chait,
The Atlantic,
25 Mar. 2026
-
Doncic and the Lakers appealed the call after he was given a technical for taunting against Orlando Magic forward Goga Bitadze in Saturday’s Lakers win.—
Assistant Sports Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
This year, the unusually warm weather in March, plant abundance and a healthy amount of prey were early signals to rattlesnakes to begin their activity.—
Karen Garcia,
Los Angeles Times,
1 Apr. 2026
-
Noise could disrupt the whales’ foraging behavior, while increased global warming — tied to the burning of fossil fuels, including oil and gas — could change where their prey fish live, Kiszka said.—
Tammy Webber,
Fortune,
31 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Any one of 162 games is less a sample size than a glance, and fool’s gold is ever present.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
31 Mar. 2026
-
Don’t let the recent rain fool you.—
Ashley Miznazi,
Miami Herald,
31 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Energy derived from replenishable sources such as solar, wind, and hydroelectric aim to reduce externalities tied to fossil fuels.—
byLaura Payne,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
2 Apr. 2026
-
The aim of the new institution will be to foster dialogues within the contemporary art community located in the larger Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.—
News Desk,
Artforum,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Nordquist says the suspect has been harassing her and other residents for weeks.—
Kayla Moeller,
CBS News,
30 Mar. 2026
-
One in six says staff have been harassed in church.—
Ed Gaskin,
Boston Herald,
29 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Target.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/target. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
