BARBED Synonyms: 89 Similar and Opposite Words

barbed

adjective

ˈbärbd

Definition of barbed

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

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 Attorneys for the country music icon’s estate claimed Seaver covered his front porch in barbed wire and yellow caution tape, thus delaying the formal delivery of the suit. — Allison Degrushe, StyleCaster, 6 Oct. 2026 Their long, barbed tongues can easily wind into ant and termite homes, licking up the bugs inside. — Lauren Penington, Denver Post, 4 Oct. 2026 The state oversees different types of facilities for kids in the justice system, ranging in security level from group homes to prisons surrounded by barbed wire. — Paige Pfleger, ProPublica, 25 Sep. 2026 Which is to say, this is more a barbed comedy of manners than a proper, elegant period piece. — Will Harris, Entertainment Weekly, 15 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for barbed

Recent Examples of Synonyms for barbed

Adjective

Portugal Kiluanji Kia Henda’s satirical future history of Angola imagines that the nation renews itself as a Marxist state.

— Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 29 Oct. 2026
Speaking a few weeks after the launch of Tom Cruise-starring satirical polemic Digger, Wishart feels docs and features about this subject matter have become overly preachy.

— Max Goldbart, Deadline, 27 Oct. 2026

Definition of satiric

Adjective

Eidra pushes her tendency to get glib and sarcastic rather than risk being vulnerable and honest to its farthest limits.

— Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 16 Oct. 2026
The interest has been driven largely by the brand's casual, sarcastic tone and active participation in online trends.

— Megan Sauer, CNBC, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of sarcastic

Adjective

With blistering satirical slants and a steady mix of acidic jabs at middle-class life, Darko should be boffo among the teen and young adults segment as well as those viewers still plugged into a sophomoric self-identity.

— Duane Byrge, HollywoodReporter, 26 Oct. 2026
Rice vinegar is acidic and tart, with little natural sweetness.

— Bon Appétit, Bon Appetit Magazine, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of acidic

Adjective

Her version is louder and more biting, but never at the sacrifice of the track’s spirit.

— Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 3 Oct. 2026
In 2022, Lee County’s Mosquito Control District decided to try aiming radiation at mosquitoes instead, specifically the biting, disease-carrying kind — Aedes aegypti.

— Alex Harris, Miami Herald, 21 Sep. 2026

Definition of biting

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barbecues

barbed

barber

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“Barbed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/barbed. Accessed 4 Nov. 2026.

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Synonyms of barbed

adjective

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