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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of taunt
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Time, 19 Apr. 2025
Sometimes songs are written by fan clubs and are tailored to taunt that day’s opponent.
—Joshua Kloke, New York Times, 12 Apr. 2025
Caleb Lunetta, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Mar. 2025
Social media companies say that bullying has always been a problem and will continue whether via schoolyard taunts, crank phone calls, or their platforms.
—Charlie Campbell, Time, 3 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for taunt
Verb
Harvard rejecting Trump’s demands was followed by the freezing of $2.2 billion of federal research funds along with Trump’s taunting threats to Harvard's tax-exempt status.
—Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Time, 19 Apr. 2025
Sometimes songs are written by fan clubs and are tailored to taunt that day’s opponent.
—Joshua Kloke, New York Times, 12 Apr. 2025
Noun
Conway said the video was posted while Maldonado was in a rival gang’s territory as a taunt.
—Caleb Lunetta, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Mar. 2025
Social media companies say that bullying has always been a problem and will continue whether via schoolyard taunts, crank phone calls, or their platforms.
—Charlie Campbell, Time, 3 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for taunt
Recent Examples of Synonyms for taunt
Verb
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Man teased scavenger hunt clues Police said someone called in a tip about Facebook posts Nicholson allegedly made.—
Saleen Martin,
USA Today,
29 Apr. 2025
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Despite the riveting plot, the author teases to PEOPLE that her main character is going to be the aspect of the novel that readers aren’t likely to forget.—
Carly Tagen-Dye,
People.com,
29 Apr. 2025
Noun
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The senator said El Salvador is an independent country and its president isn’t subject to the jurisdiction of the U.S. Supreme Court, which was followed by jeers in the audience.—
Jared Gans,
The Hill,
16 Apr. 2025
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But the prevailing mood was one of futility and there were ironic jeers from the Forest fans when Garnacho booted the ball high into the Bridgford Stand 18 minutes from time.—
Laurie Whitwell,
New York Times,
2 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Does the fact that these Black leaders are among the rich that dandies would have mocked savor the inheritance of the style tradition or sully it?—
Akilah Sailers,
Essence,
28 Apr. 2025
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In the first round, the team stayed put at No. 14 and still landed a player that was widely mocked to the team in tight end Tyler Warren.—
Mark Weinstein,
MSNBC Newsweek,
27 Apr. 2025
Noun
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But the moralistic sneer didn’t take long to enter the postgame analysis.—
Zak Garner-Purkis,
Forbes,
23 Mar. 2025
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The male characters are, typically, petulant narcissists with perpetual sneers who insult and cajole their female love interests into almost invariably unhealthy relationships.—
Josh Bell,
Vulture,
13 Feb. 2025
Noun
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The order is so blatant in its attempt to rewrite history that to call it Orwellian would be something of an insult to Big Brother.—
Megan Garber,
The Atlantic,
29 Apr. 2025
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Years of insults and escalating tension came to a boiling point during the first press conference when Eubank Jr. slapped Benn in the face with an egg—an act that drew outrage and went viral.—
Brian Mazique,
Forbes.com,
25 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Talk of the Bey diss begins around the 25-minute mark.—
Michael Saponara,
Billboard,
9 Apr. 2025
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Lana Del Rey had a huge confession (and a little diss) to make at Stagecoach.—
Tomás Mier,
Rolling Stone,
26 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Roy Keane’s ‘prawn sandwiches’ jibe had interesting origins.—
Michael Walker,
The Athletic,
15 Mar. 2025
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But even some Republicans weren’t happy with the nasty gibe.—
Dave Goldiner,
New York Daily News,
6 Mar. 2025
Noun
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The organization ended up cutting out Rogen’s quip from the ceremony.—
Armando Tinoco,
Deadline,
15 Apr. 2025
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Campaign videos feature sharp suits, barbed quips at President Emmanuel Macron and selfie lines at rally stops.—
Thomas Adamson,
Los Angeles Times,
1 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Taunt.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/taunt. Accessed 11 May. 2025.
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