as in sarcastic
marked by the use of wit that is intended to cause hurt feelings
a professor with a rather acerb sense of humor
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for acerb
Adjective
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But pull her away from the TV cameras, photographers and the prying eyes of the world, and her sarcastic-bordering-on-vulgar sense of humor bubbles to the surface.—
Dave Skretta,
Chicago Tribune,
17 Feb. 2026 -
Liu asked with a sarcastic scoff and giggle.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Our approaches can be critical, satirical, comical, dramatic, poetic, but will always be complex and complicated.—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
21 Feb. 2026
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The book is a satirical story about a fictional reality TV show called Model Muse that was inspired by his experience on ANTM.—
Emma Banks,
InStyle,
21 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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An arrest has been made in an acid attack on a Long Island college student that happened nearly five years ago.—
Alexa Herrera,
CBS News,
10 Feb. 2026
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As wine lovers’ taste in Chardonnay has moved from ripe and buttery to lean and racy, higher-acid, more-flavorful versions have come into vogue.—
Mike DeSimone,
Robb Report,
8 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Caramelizing mellows out the tart, acidic quality of the fruit and adds a rich, umami-like flavor to these meatballs.—
Carolynn Carreño,
Los Angeles Times,
15 Feb. 2026
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Some plants can tolerate a range of soil pH levels, from acidic to alkaline.—
David Beaulieu,
The Spruce,
15 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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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
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During the First World War, neither Axis nor Allied generals fully appreciated the devastating effects of machine guns and barbed wire.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
19 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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There was zero indication that Catherine O’Hara was anywhere near done with her hysterically acerbic arc on this Apple TV smash, one of the biggest comedies of the streaming era.—
Brian Tallerico,
Vulture,
31 Jan. 2026
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Jackie Prutsman is suitably acerbic and Aspen Thompson has particular fun with some physical comedy in the second act.—
Matthew J. Palm,
The Orlando Sentinel,
18 Jan. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Acerb.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/acerb. Accessed 23 Feb. 2026.
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