as in satirical
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
Ivor checked it, and then spotted the line of barbed wire threaded through the scrub.
—
Anne Enright, New Yorker, 27 July 2025
That speculative element is teased right there in the title: One of God’s best and brightest has been knocked from heaven by war’s tumult and is caught in a thatch of barbed wire.
—Ben H. Winters, New York Times, 26 July 2025
Separate entrances and ticket windows, barriers like railings, chains, and even barbed wire, plus police and/or Pinkerton deployments, were all used to maintain the separation of fans in the period about which Carlino writes.
—Matthew Wills, JSTOR Daily, 23 July 2025
The cost to rent 400 feet of 8-foot-tall, chain-link fencing with barbed wire along the top is $5,580 for two years.
—Gloria Casas, Chicago Tribune, 22 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for barbed
Anne Enright, New Yorker, 27 July 2025
That speculative element is teased right there in the title: One of God’s best and brightest has been knocked from heaven by war’s tumult and is caught in a thatch of barbed wire.
—Ben H. Winters, New York Times, 26 July 2025
Separate entrances and ticket windows, barriers like railings, chains, and even barbed wire, plus police and/or Pinkerton deployments, were all used to maintain the separation of fans in the period about which Carlino writes.
—Matthew Wills, JSTOR Daily, 23 July 2025
The cost to rent 400 feet of 8-foot-tall, chain-link fencing with barbed wire along the top is $5,580 for two years.
—Gloria Casas, Chicago Tribune, 22 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for barbed
Recent Examples of Synonyms for barbed
Adjective
-
The poem is part love quest, part account of Italy’s battles; in places profoundly serious, in places satiric.—
The New Yorker,
New Yorker,
11 June 2025
-
Neither damning nor satiric, W. is oddly wistful, almost regretful — rare sentiments in a Stone film.—
Will Leitch,
Vulture,
17 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
This is the kind of sarcastic humor that keeps the mood light throughout the 162-game marathon.—
Zach Pressnell,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Aug. 2025
-
This perky, self-aware, sarcastic and downright silly show caters to both the more traditional Goodspeed audiences.—
Christopher Arnott,
Hartford Courant,
14 July 2025
Adjective
-
Full sun, cool temperatures, and slightly acidic, fertile soil helps plants thrive.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
7 Aug. 2025
-
They’re housed in an acidic formulation, so as not to disturb the skin’s acid mantle (the outermost layer of the barrier), and deliver unmatched hydration and comfort to skin.—
Deanna Pai,
Vogue,
4 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
From lo-fi hip-hop to chamber pop, from acid funk to orchestral rock, the fingerprints remain.—
Philip Martin,
Arkansas Online,
15 June 2025
-
The floors are done in chestnut-toned wood, with acid green carpets made from bamboo silk, while the VVIP suite has its own private sitting room.—
Samantha Conti,
Footwear News,
11 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Barbed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/barbed. Accessed 21 Aug. 2025.
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