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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This is the kind of sarcastic humor that keeps the mood light throughout the 162-game marathon.—
Zach Pressnell,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Aug. 2025 -
This perky, self-aware, sarcastic and downright silly show caters to both the more traditional Goodspeed audiences.—
Christopher Arnott,
Hartford Courant,
14 July 2025
Adjective
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The poem is part love quest, part account of Italy’s battles; in places profoundly serious, in places satiric.—
The New Yorker,
New Yorker,
11 June 2025
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Neither damning nor satiric, W. is oddly wistful, almost regretful — rare sentiments in a Stone film.—
Will Leitch,
Vulture,
17 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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From lo-fi hip-hop to chamber pop, from acid funk to orchestral rock, the fingerprints remain.—
Philip Martin,
Arkansas Online,
15 June 2025
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The floors are done in chestnut-toned wood, with acid green carpets made from bamboo silk, while the VVIP suite has its own private sitting room.—
Samantha Conti,
Footwear News,
11 June 2025
Adjective
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Full sun, cool temperatures, and slightly acidic, fertile soil helps plants thrive.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
7 Aug. 2025
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They’re housed in an acidic formulation, so as not to disturb the skin’s acid mantle (the outermost layer of the barrier), and deliver unmatched hydration and comfort to skin.—
Deanna Pai,
Vogue,
4 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Blood of My Blood doesn’t shy away from the violence and gore of this war — there is blood and guts and young men dying, there is poison gas and bodies on barbed wire.—
Maggie Fremont,
Vulture,
9 Aug. 2025
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Panthers will be stymied by 28,000 feet of barbed wire fencing.—
Elise Bennett,
The Orlando Sentinel,
3 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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That movie was an acerbic portrait of a friendship gone sour, laced with barbed insults.—
Fran Hoepfner,
Vulture,
6 Aug. 2025
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With further prompting and training, the model was able to come much closer to Rubin’s acerbic, anti-PC style.—
Andrew R. Chow,
Time,
1 Aug. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Acerb.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/acerb. Accessed 21 Aug. 2025.
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