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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 The fence, as constructed, is more than 8 feet tall and is topped with a strand of barbed wire — too high for many animals to jump and dangerous for those that attempt to do so. — Elise Schmelzer, Denver Post, 28 June 2026 Vines have grown through the fence and barbed wire surrounding a tall art deco building in this city’s downtown, and cigarette holders and empty food tins litter the tall weeds. — Susan Svrluga, Washington Post, 24 June 2026 What happened to his barbed humanistic wit? — Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 24 June 2026 South Korean soldiers patrol along a barbed wire fence Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) separating North and South Korea, on the South Korean island of Ganghwa, in a April 23, 2020 file photo. — CBS News, 24 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for barbed
Recent Examples of Synonyms for barbed
  1. satiric
  2. sarcastic
  3. acidic
  4. acid
  5. biting
Adjective
  • Supporters embraced the insult as a badge of resistance, turning it into a satirical political campaign that amassed more than 21 million Instagram followers in a few days.
    — Aijaz Hussain, Los Angeles Times, 19 July 2026
  • Supporters embraced the insult as a badge of resilience, turning it into a satirical political campaign that amassed more than 21 million Instagram followers in a few days.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 18 July 2026
Definition of satiric
Adjective
  • Another way to say this is that, in place of the extensive self-announcements Plato allows his characters, Rochester substitutes his own summary judgements, his sarcastic imitations.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 6 July 2026
  • This is taken as evidence of his status, not a sarcastic criticism.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 July 2026
Definition of sarcastic
Adjective
  • The Venus flytrap is native only to the coastal wetlands and bogs of North Carolina and South Carolina, and grows naturally in nutrient-poor, acidic, and perpetually wet areas.
    — SJ McShane, Martha Stewart, 14 July 2026
  • Earlier studies also showed that slightly acidic seawater from the BPMED process can accelerate algae growth, and allow future systems to simultaneously recover minerals while producing chemicals, fuels, fertilizers, and biomass.
    — Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 14 July 2026
Definition of acidic
Adjective
  • Three teenagers have been arrested in connection with an acid attack on six women in Jersey City, New Jersey, last month, public safety officials said.
    — Mirna Alsharif, NBC news, 15 July 2026
  • Over several decades, hundreds and hundreds of tons — hundreds of thousands of gallons — of acid waste from the pesticide DDT and even DDT itself were dumped into the ocean off the Palos Verdes Peninsula and near Catalina Island.
    — Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 15 July 2026
Definition of acid
Adjective
  • The pacing is more frenetic, the narration more biting, the flashbacks more jarring, and the comedowns much harsher.
    — Hannah Giorgis Yohannes, Vanity Fair, 13 July 2026
  • Described as a biting political thriller in the tradition of Wild in the Streets and V for Vendetta, The Hunted is set in a dystopian America where trans people are brutalized and erased to the margins of society.
    — Glenn Garner, Deadline, 20 June 2026
Definition of biting

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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 22 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on barbed

Nglish: Translation of barbed for Spanish Speakers

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