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
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Recent Examples of barbed
His body was found three days later in the Tallahatchie River, weighted down by a metal fan tied around his neck with barbed wire.
—
Angela Andaloro, PEOPLE, 30 Dec. 2025
But barbed comments from strangers may be ignored, and nosy questions may be deflected.
—Judith Martin, Mercury News, 29 Dec. 2025
One immediate effect of that chaos was Jessica Capshaw’s Blythe being knocked from her horse and thrown into a barbed wire fence, then left passed out and bleeding in the wild.
—Jennifer Maas, Variety, 14 Nov. 2025
After an initial flurry of barbed statements and rebuttals, the two companies have settled into a less-vocal posture.
—Dade Hayes, Deadline, 14 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for barbed
Angela Andaloro, PEOPLE, 30 Dec. 2025
But barbed comments from strangers may be ignored, and nosy questions may be deflected.
—Judith Martin, Mercury News, 29 Dec. 2025
One immediate effect of that chaos was Jessica Capshaw’s Blythe being knocked from her horse and thrown into a barbed wire fence, then left passed out and bleeding in the wild.
—Jennifer Maas, Variety, 14 Nov. 2025
After an initial flurry of barbed statements and rebuttals, the two companies have settled into a less-vocal posture.
—Dade Hayes, Deadline, 14 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for barbed
Recent Examples of Synonyms for barbed
Adjective
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But it’s set apart from the rest of her work by a long, satirical section sending up gothic fiction and its fans.—
Erin Somers,
The Atlantic,
6 Jan. 2026
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But the tone is often more satiric than somber, Park highlighting Man-su’s foibles and insecurities.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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The Marriage Story star first appeared as a child in an uncredited role in the Scorsese film — Ladd's first taste of major acclaim as the sarcastic waitress Flo.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
3 Nov. 2025
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The kicking game was so bad that Freeman sounded like Brian Kelly at his sarcastic best when asked about Noah Burnette, Erik Schmidt and Marcello Diomede combining to miss two extra points and one field goal.—
Pete Sampson,
New York Times,
2 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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Possible Worsening of Acid Reflux Symptoms Many juices, such as orange, lemon, and pineapple, are highly acidic and can worsen symptoms in people with acid reflux.—
Jillian Kubala,
Health,
7 Jan. 2026
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While both are safe and effective for preserving, citric acid can contribute a sharper, more acidic note, while salt tends to round out tomato flavor.—
Anne Wolf,
Martha Stewart,
7 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Savannah police and the FBI are continuing to follow any possible leads to find whoever is responsible for the acid attack in a local park that left a woman with severe burns.—
Dan Raby,
CBS News,
16 Dec. 2025
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If acid soil-loving plants are not thriving, have the soil tested and amend the pH with elemental sulfur.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
Southern Living,
10 Dec. 2025
Adjective
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Morbidly Jewish finds Raanan at his most biting, acerbic, angry, Jewish, and, as always…loud.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
5 Jan. 2026
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The conservative activist’s 42-minute video posted the day after Christmas quickly spread, prompting stepped up immigration enforcement, frozen federal funds and more biting rhetoric against the Somali community from President Donald Trump.—
Rebekah Riess,
CNN Money,
2 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Barbed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/barbed. Accessed 11 Jan. 2026.
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