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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Recent Examples of barbed
The Vintage Sedan, for instance, introduces us to a trespassing bird-watcher who has cut his leg on rusty barbed wire.
—
Dan Piepenbring, Harpers Magazine, 20 Aug. 2025
Whereas Armah’s novel operates in the sorrowful register of existentialism, Sembène and Cissé’s films revel in the barbed parameters of comedy and trade in the comeuppance of corrupt leaders.
—Lovia Gyarkye, IndieWire, 19 Aug. 2025
Blood of My Blood doesn’t shy away from the violence and gore of this war — there is blood and guts and young men dying, there is poison gas and bodies on barbed wire.
—Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 9 Aug. 2025
Panthers will be stymied by 28,000 feet of barbed wire fencing.
—Elise Bennett, The Orlando Sentinel, 3 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for barbed
Dan Piepenbring, Harpers Magazine, 20 Aug. 2025
Whereas Armah’s novel operates in the sorrowful register of existentialism, Sembène and Cissé’s films revel in the barbed parameters of comedy and trade in the comeuppance of corrupt leaders.
—Lovia Gyarkye, IndieWire, 19 Aug. 2025
Blood of My Blood doesn’t shy away from the violence and gore of this war — there is blood and guts and young men dying, there is poison gas and bodies on barbed wire.
—Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 9 Aug. 2025
Panthers will be stymied by 28,000 feet of barbed wire fencing.
—Elise Bennett, The Orlando Sentinel, 3 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for barbed
Recent Examples of Synonyms for barbed
Adjective
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White Noise Noah Baumbach's 2022 satirical drama stars Adam Driver and Greta Gerwig — who married Baumbach in 2023 after dating for 12 years — play a married couple in the 1980s.—
Jacqueline Weiss,
PEOPLE,
7 Sep. 2025
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While the homage is heartfelt, and certainly packs its share of genuine laughs, the end result can’t escape feeling like a hodgepodge, incapable of cohesively blending the satirical elements with the earnest messaging foremost on its mind.—
Michael Rechtshaffen,
HollywoodReporter,
7 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Even an otherwise neutral comment can be contorted into a sarcastic retort, an insult or a counterattack.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
7 Sep. 2025
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On the par-4 14th, Scheffler splashed out of a greenside bunker to 10 feet, missed the par putt, and then, without hesitation, threw a sarcastic fist pump toward the hole.—
Devlina Sarkar,
MSNBC Newsweek,
23 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Use fertile, moist, slightly acidic soil that’s well-draining, and amend it with compost or other organic matter.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
9 Sep. 2025
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Never use any acidic material on copper sinks.—
BestReviews,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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This touchscreen pod machine has a lot to offer, including rich, balanced, coffee; a whopping eight brewing sizes; one-touch presets for low-acid, Americano, iced coffee, and cold brew; plus customizable temperature control and brew strength.—
Mark Marino,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
29 Aug. 2025
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How does the new silver extraction method work The technology, known as Jet Electrochemical Silver Extraction (JESE), uses a fine stream of weak acid to dissolve silver directly from the panel surface in seconds—the acid stream targets only the silver, leaving everything else untouched.—
Sujita Sinha,
Interesting Engineering,
15 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Barbed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/barbed. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.
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