barbed

adjective

ˈbärbd How to pronounce barbed (audio)
Definition of barbednext
as in satiric
marked by the use of wit that is intended to cause hurt feelings barbed satire on American academia

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of barbed There are plenty of Ostalgie museums in today’s united Germany, furnished with memorabilia of the German Democratic Republic, from twigs of barbed wire to Trabant gearboxes. — Isaac Chotiner, New Yorker, 3 Sep. 2026 Across the lot in an unused patch of pavement, pops of bright orange and yellow reach skyward toward the imposing barbed wire that’s laced atop metal security bars. — Leigh-Ann Jackson, Los Angeles Times, 2 Sep. 2026 Up the other side of the ravine there is another fence, much like the first, but without the barbed wire. — Literary Hub, 24 Aug. 2026 Light tubes, chains, scaffolds, chairs and a barbed wire table all made an appearance. — Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 16 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for barbed
Recent Examples of Synonyms for barbed
  1. satiric
  2. sarcastic
  3. acidic
  4. acid
  5. biting
Adjective
  • No working of any system or joy gathered from an unprovable satirical angle.
    — Sean Joseph OutKick, FOXNews.com, 8 Oct. 2026
  • The case could become noteworthy precedent for social media companies that rely on targets’ intellectual property in attempting to offer critical or satirical commentary.
    — Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of satiric
Adjective
  • The interest has been driven largely by the brand's casual, sarcastic tone and active participation in online trends.
    — Megan Sauer, CNBC, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Before the constant stream of sarcastic Ultron commentary wears out its welcome around the series’ halfway point, the bad guy’s brevity is a nice counterpoint to all of the sentient ennui.
    — David Fear, Rolling Stone, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of sarcastic
Adjective
  • The Bongulo Paneer — cooked in bamboo — with a coconut and capsicum poriyal blends peanut chutney with acidic gongura sour cream and fiery gunpowder.
    — Heidi Finley, Charlotte Observer, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Other novelists have turned to acidic, class-conscious portraits of the underemployed—see Andrew Martin and Halle Butler.
    — Ryan Chapman, Literary Hub, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of acidic
Adjective
  • Learning to season food, growing comfortable with adding salt—and ultimately acid, spice, and sweetness—according to your own preferences, is what home cooking is all about.
    — Chris Morocco, Bon Appetit Magazine, 26 Sep. 2026
  • The idea that these two would have a five-minute-or-less breakup conversation, then plop down on the couch and happily embark on an acid trip together, strains credulity a little, even for this bizarre, codependent friend group.
    — Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of acid
Adjective
  • Her version is louder and more biting, but never at the sacrifice of the track’s spirit.
    — Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 3 Oct. 2026
  • In 2022, Lee County’s Mosquito Control District decided to try aiming radiation at mosquitoes instead, specifically the biting, disease-carrying kind — Aedes aegypti.
    — Alex Harris, Miami Herald, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of biting

Browse Nearby Words

barbecues
barbed
barber
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Cite this Entry

“Barbed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/barbed. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

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