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
The person climbed over an approximately 8-foot perimeter fence topped with barbed wire.
—
David Chiu, PEOPLE, 12 May 2026
These tools are thin, flimsy, and built with barbed notches on the side that are used to grabbing hair and break through soap scum or other debris to remove them from your drain.
—Ashlyn Needham, Southern Living, 8 May 2026
Through the 1960s, Black residents could not attend movies or plays at the segregated theater, and the property long had a fence topped with barbed wire facing the neighborhood.
—Andres Viglucci, Miami Herald, 8 May 2026
Against the backdrop of prison watchtowers and barbed wire, the celebration of Route 66 in Joliet featured three hours’ worth of pregame festivities, including 15 food trucks serving delicacies as quintessential as hot dogs and as unique as gourmet pasta in garlic bread cones.
—John J. Kim, Chicago Tribune, 1 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for barbed
David Chiu, PEOPLE, 12 May 2026
These tools are thin, flimsy, and built with barbed notches on the side that are used to grabbing hair and break through soap scum or other debris to remove them from your drain.
—Ashlyn Needham, Southern Living, 8 May 2026
Through the 1960s, Black residents could not attend movies or plays at the segregated theater, and the property long had a fence topped with barbed wire facing the neighborhood.
—Andres Viglucci, Miami Herald, 8 May 2026
Against the backdrop of prison watchtowers and barbed wire, the celebration of Route 66 in Joliet featured three hours’ worth of pregame festivities, including 15 food trucks serving delicacies as quintessential as hot dogs and as unique as gourmet pasta in garlic bread cones.
—John J. Kim, Chicago Tribune, 1 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for barbed
Recent Examples of Synonyms for barbed
Adjective
-
Its satirical aim feels spot-on.—
Inkoo Kang,
New Yorker,
17 May 2026
-
Carter was the founder of the satirical monthly Spy and newsletter Air Mail.—
Matt Donnelly,
Variety,
14 May 2026
Adjective
-
Now, in a more intimate setting, the sullen and sometimes-sarcastic shadings of this longtime singer-songwriter should hark back to Folds’ fledgling days on the alt-music scene.—
David L. Coddon,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
14 May 2026
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In addition to Miranda's scathing remarks to Andy (Anne Hathaway) while trying to complete seemingly impossible tasks, Emily (Emily Blunt) and Nigel (Stanley Tucci) taught her how to navigate office politics with their own sarcastic comments.—
Christopher Rudolph,
PEOPLE,
3 May 2026
Adjective
-
Most varieties prefer full sun to partial shade and rich, slightly acidic soil that drains well.—
Jessica Safavimehr,
Southern Living,
13 May 2026
-
Rex Reed, a critic and journalist known for his brash, often acidic takes on films and filmmakers, died Tuesday at his Manhattan home.—
Brent Lang,
Variety,
12 May 2026
Adjective
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Insults were par for the course at The Roast of Kevin Hart, but some jokes had more acid than others.—
Jason P. Frank,
Vulture,
11 May 2026
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If choosing wines, focus on bright, higher-acid white wines that cut through the mouth-coating fattiness of cheese.—
Anna Lee Iijima,
Chicago Tribune,
20 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Netflix’s big comedy bet might be the Dan Levy–Rachel Sennott co-creation Big Mistakes; the biting, farcical series about adult siblings who get caught up in the drug business plays like Weeds crossed with The Other Two.—
Joe Reid,
Vulture,
2 May 2026
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The tracks are more vulnerable, biting, and self-aware than ever, and in some cases, feature lyrics pulled right out of Hjelt’s diary.—
Charisma Madarang,
Rolling Stone,
24 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Barbed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/barbed. Accessed 19 May. 2026.
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