as in satiric
marked by the use of wit that is intended to cause hurt feelings
barbed satire on American academia
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
My parents were just children when they were wrested from their homes into tarpaper barracks surrounded by barbed wire.
—
Julie Morita, Chicago Tribune, 19 Feb. 2026
During the First World War, neither Axis nor Allied generals fully appreciated the devastating effects of machine guns and barbed wire.
—New Atlas, 19 Feb. 2026
These corporations are enabling violence on the streets and death behind barbed wire.
—Robert B. Reich, Hartford Courant, 12 Feb. 2026
Following the 1967 war, a rope of asphalt had replaced the rubble and barbed wire, meandering through the city like an unwanted river.
—Literary Hub, 2 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for barbed
Julie Morita, Chicago Tribune, 19 Feb. 2026
During the First World War, neither Axis nor Allied generals fully appreciated the devastating effects of machine guns and barbed wire.
—New Atlas, 19 Feb. 2026
These corporations are enabling violence on the streets and death behind barbed wire.
—Robert B. Reich, Hartford Courant, 12 Feb. 2026
Following the 1967 war, a rope of asphalt had replaced the rubble and barbed wire, meandering through the city like an unwanted river.
—Literary Hub, 2 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for barbed
Recent Examples of Synonyms for barbed
Adjective
-
The satirical stuff that Hart was writing in the 1930s no longer would play in the 1940s with the war on.—
Jason P. Frank,
Vulture,
14 Mar. 2026
-
The darkly satirical film stars Kirsten Dunst, Daniel Brühl, and Keanu Reeves and is set on a long-haul flight where the entertainment system fails and passengers are forced to face the horror of being bored.—
Jesse Whittock,
Deadline,
13 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
In her response, Stanton was livid and sarcastic.—
Moira Donegan,
New Yorker,
13 Mar. 2026
-
Adebayo said with a sarcastic smile.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
12 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Blueberries need acidic soil, grow lights, and exposure to cold temperatures to thrive and produce fruit indoors.—
Rae Ford,
Martha Stewart,
16 Mar. 2026
-
An acidic aqueous electrolyte containing iron salts circulated continuously through the system during testing.—
Georgina Jedikovska,
Interesting Engineering,
13 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Fires caused by Israeli strikes on oil reservoirs on Saturday burned for multiple days, prompting Iranian officials to warn residents against acid and toxic rain that resulted from the significant amount of pollutants in the air.—
Julia Jacobo,
ABC News,
10 Mar. 2026
-
An arrest has been made in an acid attack on a Long Island college student that happened nearly five years ago.—
Alexa Herrera,
CBS News,
10 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
As the nation bonded as one over the past two weeks biting nails, screaming at wins, wincing at crashes and choking up at all the beautiful moments of Olympic competition, another group of athletes were – and still are – out honing their multi-level championship skills.—
Moira McCarthy,
Boston Herald,
25 Feb. 2026
-
The bulk of a Tyrannosaurus rex skull, the biting point of a shark tooth, the startling familiarity of a hominin footprint—and then there’s the charm inherent to any sample of regurgitalite, the paleontological term for fossilized vomit.—
Meghan Bartels,
Scientific American,
18 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Barbed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/barbed. Accessed 22 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
