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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of barb
There is a host of information like temperature (red line), dewpoint (green line), winds (barbs on the right), stability information (useful for storm potential), and precipitable water (helpful in assessing flood potential).
—
Marshall Shepherd, Forbes, 21 Mar. 2025
While the utility companies and political leaders exchange barbs over electric bills and profitability, Wall Street has been issuing warnings about the health of the utility sector.
—Edmund H. Mahony, Hartford Courant, 20 Mar. 2025
Paxton has been a noted critic of Cornyn, especially after the senator threw barbs at him during his impeachment trial.
—Brady Knox, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 19 Mar. 2025
Ted and Harvey are buddies, trading barbs and game plans.
—Ayan Artan, Vulture, 16 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for barb
Marshall Shepherd, Forbes, 21 Mar. 2025
While the utility companies and political leaders exchange barbs over electric bills and profitability, Wall Street has been issuing warnings about the health of the utility sector.
—Edmund H. Mahony, Hartford Courant, 20 Mar. 2025
Paxton has been a noted critic of Cornyn, especially after the senator threw barbs at him during his impeachment trial.
—Brady Knox, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 19 Mar. 2025
Ted and Harvey are buddies, trading barbs and game plans.
—Ayan Artan, Vulture, 16 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for barb
Recent Examples of Synonyms for barb
Noun
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The order is so blatant in its attempt to rewrite history that to call it Orwellian would be something of an insult to Big Brother.—
Megan Garber,
The Atlantic,
29 Apr. 2025
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Earbuds have become the pedestrian’s car stereo, a kind of acoustic Bubble Wrap shielding us from noise or chatter or insults and makes obsolete a once-fundamental New York experience: the casual interaction.—
Justin Davidson,
Curbed,
25 Apr. 2025
Noun
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There’s a certain Egyptian sarcasm and dark humor that is all over my family.—
Lulu Garcia-Navarro,
New York Times,
12 Apr. 2025
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His sarcasm is well-placed: Whatever is discussed between business leaders and the governor using these phones will be shielded from the public, says a McGeorge School of Law adjunct professor who has worked as a lobbyist in the California Capitol.—
The Editorial Board,
Oc Register,
4 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Barb.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/barb. Accessed 4 May. 2025.
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