as in insult
an act or expression showing scorn and usually intended to hurt another's feelings
delivered one last barb to his ex-girlfriend as he stalked away
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of barb
As two of the world’s most powerful people continued to trade public barbs, Tesla shares dropped lower and lower.
—
Matt Egan, CNN Money, 6 June 2025
Tesla — The electric vehicle maker fell about 2% in extended trading as Elon Musk and President Donald Trump continued to trade barbs on social media.
—Jesse Pound, CNBC, 5 June 2025
Not only does urine not help remove venom from a ray’s barb, it also should not be used to treat a jellyfish sting.
—Jaclyn Cosgrove, Los Angeles Times, 22 May 2025
Governor Gavin Newsom traded barbs with the president throughout the weekend, pushing back on the deployment of military force absent the request or permission of state and local leaders.
—Kate Nishimura, Sourcing Journal, 10 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for barb
Matt Egan, CNN Money, 6 June 2025
Tesla — The electric vehicle maker fell about 2% in extended trading as Elon Musk and President Donald Trump continued to trade barbs on social media.
—Jesse Pound, CNBC, 5 June 2025
Not only does urine not help remove venom from a ray’s barb, it also should not be used to treat a jellyfish sting.
—Jaclyn Cosgrove, Los Angeles Times, 22 May 2025
Governor Gavin Newsom traded barbs with the president throughout the weekend, pushing back on the deployment of military force absent the request or permission of state and local leaders.
—Kate Nishimura, Sourcing Journal, 10 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for barb
Recent Examples of Synonyms for barb
Noun
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Under it, anyone who defames, insults or threatens the King, Queen, heir apparent, or regent faces three to 15 years in prison.—
Charlie Campbell,
Time,
26 June 2025
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In the video, Songz is seen locked in a tense exchange with an unidentified man, with both hurling insults and threats in an escalating war of words.—
Preezy Brown,
VIBE.com,
25 June 2025
Noun
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But behind the sarcasm is the uncomfortable truth: today's kids are hyper-aware of how they're perceived.—
Annabelle Canela,
Parents,
9 June 2025
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Tagging emotional tone or contextual nuance, like sarcasm in reviews or urgency in support tickets, can usefully train models to understand human subtext.—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes.com,
29 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Barb.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/barb. Accessed 2 Jul. 2025.
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