as in sarcastic
marked by the use of wit that is intended to cause hurt feelings
whispered a steady stream of acerbic comments as the lecturer droned on
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Recent Examples of acerbic
Yelena, Ava and Walker jump in, and everyone takes out the troops with their acerbic fighting skills.
—
Nancy Tartaglione, Deadline, 3 Apr. 2025
Meanwhile, acerbic tough guy Dave Moss (Burr) presents his airy coworker George Aaronow (McKean) with a plan to stick it to their ungrateful bosses by stealing all of the Glengarry real estate leads and selling them to another agency.
—Emlyn Travis, EW.com, 1 Apr. 2025
Anne Kaufman Schneider, who shepherded the plays of her father, George S. Kaufman, a titan of 20th-century American theatrical wit, into the 21st century with an acerbic sagacity all her own, died on Thursday at her home in Manhattan.
—Barry Singer, New York Times, 14 Mar. 2025
When Dutchman opened at the Cherry Lane Theater in 1964, its acerbic take on the relationship between white and Black Americans shocked audiences.
—Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 8 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for acerbic
Nancy Tartaglione, Deadline, 3 Apr. 2025
Meanwhile, acerbic tough guy Dave Moss (Burr) presents his airy coworker George Aaronow (McKean) with a plan to stick it to their ungrateful bosses by stealing all of the Glengarry real estate leads and selling them to another agency.
—Emlyn Travis, EW.com, 1 Apr. 2025
Anne Kaufman Schneider, who shepherded the plays of her father, George S. Kaufman, a titan of 20th-century American theatrical wit, into the 21st century with an acerbic sagacity all her own, died on Thursday at her home in Manhattan.
—Barry Singer, New York Times, 14 Mar. 2025
When Dutchman opened at the Cherry Lane Theater in 1964, its acerbic take on the relationship between white and Black Americans shocked audiences.
—Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 8 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for acerbic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for acerbic
Adjective
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Goldberg continued before asking her co-hosts their opinions in a sarcastic tone.—
Liza Esquibias,
People.com,
24 Apr. 2025
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Where Jackie is sarcastic, cynical, and all sharp edges, Zoey is enthusiastic and warm.—
Maggie Fremont,
Vulture,
21 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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That’s the premise of Douglas Is Cancelled, a cruelly funny 2024 BBC sitcom that seems very much in sync with satiric comedies such as The Office and W1A and Yes Minister.—
Air Mail,
Air Mail,
22 Mar. 2025
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Misery, a horror movie with a satiric streak, launched Bates’s film stardom.—
Tim Grierson,
Vulture,
21 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Crisp, acidic and linear aromas of grapefruit, green apples, melon, candy cane and lemon grass; slight lime and salt.—
Tom Mullen,
Forbes.com,
21 Apr. 2025
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Most veggies prefer slightly acidic soil, but these crops thrive in more alkaline gardens.—
Lauren Landers,
Better Homes & Gardens,
17 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Standing in front of an array of 4,500 Canadian solar panels and across from a wall topped with barbed wire, Gov. Ned Lamont today announced the completion of seven solar projects at prisons located in Enfield, Cheshire and Somers.—
Emilia Otte,
Hartford Courant,
25 Apr. 2025
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Some of the humor has a barbed, geopolitical aim in a war for the world’s hearts and minds — see the Chinese government’s fusillade of memes — but political scientists say that, for many people, humor is a natural response to stressful times.—
Hailey Branson-Potts,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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The acid content of these foods irritates your child's skin, causing redness that can look like a rash.6 Viruses and Bacterial Infections Certain viral or bacterial infections may cause multiple symptoms around the mouth, including a rash.—
Wendy Wisner,
Health,
18 Apr. 2025
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Roy Ayers, the jazz vibraphonist whose smooth fusion planted the seeds of acid jazz and neo soul, died Wednesday at the age of 84.—
Stephen Thomas Erlewine,
Rolling Stone,
6 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Acerbic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/acerbic. Accessed 4 May. 2025.
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