as in insults
an act or expression showing scorn and usually intended to hurt another's feelings
took it as an affront that she wasn't invited to say a few words at the ribbon-cutting ceremony
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in offends
to cause hurt feelings or deep resentment in
did not mean to affront you when I told you I didn't need your help
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of affronts
Chris Stirewalt, The Hill, 28 Apr. 2026
Any tension between them, though, stems from personal affronts, while their ideological differences exist as a largely unremarked upon undercurrent.
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 25 Mar. 2026
Meanwhile, some on Wall Street continue to warn of complacency in financial markets amid affronts to the Fed’s independence, persistent nerves about a bubble and increasingly fraught geopolitics.
—John Towfighi, CNN Money, 6 Feb. 2026
Shaban’s chief response to this and other affronts is silence.
—Sheri Linden, HollywoodReporter, 30 Jan. 2026
And those affronts to standard Hollywood operating procedure threaten millions of jobs across the industry.
—Chris Lee, Vulture, 5 Dec. 2025
Bukele, after a disastrous month for his image, was not willing to tolerate any more affronts.
—Óscar Martínez & Carlos Martínez, The Dial, 16 Sep. 2025
These constituencies view the sanctions and the tariffs as otherwise legal instruments weaponized for geopolitical purposes—and as direct affronts to Brazil’s democratic integrity.
—Hussein Kalout, Foreign Affairs, 2 Sep. 2025
Noun
These things are murders and affronts to the dignity of human life.
—Chris Stirewalt, The Hill, 28 Apr. 2026
Any tension between them, though, stems from personal affronts, while their ideological differences exist as a largely unremarked upon undercurrent.
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 25 Mar. 2026
Meanwhile, some on Wall Street continue to warn of complacency in financial markets amid affronts to the Fed’s independence, persistent nerves about a bubble and increasingly fraught geopolitics.
—John Towfighi, CNN Money, 6 Feb. 2026
Shaban’s chief response to this and other affronts is silence.
—Sheri Linden, HollywoodReporter, 30 Jan. 2026
And those affronts to standard Hollywood operating procedure threaten millions of jobs across the industry.
—Chris Lee, Vulture, 5 Dec. 2025
Bukele, after a disastrous month for his image, was not willing to tolerate any more affronts.
—Óscar Martínez & Carlos Martínez, The Dial, 16 Sep. 2025
These constituencies view the sanctions and the tariffs as otherwise legal instruments weaponized for geopolitical purposes—and as direct affronts to Brazil’s democratic integrity.
—Hussein Kalout, Foreign Affairs, 2 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for affronts
Noun
-
Aiyuk appears to direct two common insults at the subject of the video — almost certainly the 49ers — by using the literal, nonprofane meanings of the terms rather than saying the vulgar words themselves.—
Sean Campbell,
Sacbee.com,
9 June 2026
-
The hail of insults pouring from the Cubs dugout grew louder and nastier.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
8 June 2026
Verb
-
But these arguments, about how free expression is defined, whether art that offends is inherently harmful, and whose sensibilities determine what art gets shown to the public, would recur again and again.—
Isaac Butler,
New Yorker,
30 May 2026
-
Very little offends me in a moral sense in the theater, but parts of this script came close.—
Chris Jones,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
More recently, Tandy Hills experienced issues with ATVs being driven through the park and damaging wildflowers, sparking outrages on social media from people who demanded the city take action.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
25 Mar. 2026
-
As has always been the case in my life, my main way of responding to political outrages is through writing and reading.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
First seen at a night-club table of menacing lowlifes, Ida, whose mother tongue is Brooklynese, suddenly switches to a heavy British accent and dispenses a torrent of highly literary sarcasms.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
4 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Where would a collapse in the Finals from coming home up 2-0 to ultimately squander the series rank in the pantheon of Knicks’ indignities?—
Hannah Keyser,
CNN Money,
11 June 2026
-
The video features Bloodwerk’s Ned Brower — formerly of Rooney, currently Nurse Jesse on The Pitt — suffering a litany of indignities at the hands of rowdy restaurant patrons.—
Brenna Ehrlich,
Rolling Stone,
2 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Affronts.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/affronts. Accessed 15 Jun. 2026.
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