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
Who knew barbed wire could be so interesting?
—
Pam Leblanc, Southern Living, 3 Jan. 2026
Known as the Fortress Revenue Collection Lab, the building does look startlingly like a fortress—with barbed wire, barred windows, brick walls, and a central tower.
—Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 31 Dec. 2025
The group has quite literally been split into two camps, separated by barbed wire, battlements, and corpses.
—Jack King, Vulture, 31 Dec. 2025
His body was found three days later in the Tallahatchie River, weighted down by a metal fan tied around his neck with barbed wire.
—Angela Andaloro, PEOPLE, 30 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for barbed
Pam Leblanc, Southern Living, 3 Jan. 2026
Known as the Fortress Revenue Collection Lab, the building does look startlingly like a fortress—with barbed wire, barred windows, brick walls, and a central tower.
—Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 31 Dec. 2025
The group has quite literally been split into two camps, separated by barbed wire, battlements, and corpses.
—Jack King, Vulture, 31 Dec. 2025
His body was found three days later in the Tallahatchie River, weighted down by a metal fan tied around his neck with barbed wire.
—Angela Andaloro, PEOPLE, 30 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for barbed
Recent Examples of Synonyms for barbed
Adjective
-
The only thing that may be crazier than the actual football life is this satirical comedy-drama that has more to do with a hedonistic existence than play-action passes.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
6 Feb. 2026
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But it’s set apart from the rest of her work by a long, satirical section sending up gothic fiction and its fans.—
Boris Kachka,
The Atlantic,
6 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Tom Lester played Eb Dawson, the Douglases' sarcastic young farmhand.—
Meredith Wilshere,
PEOPLE,
25 Jan. 2026
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The worse things are going, the more bitter and sarcastic my humor sometimes gets.—
Kenna Hughes-Castleberry,
Space.com,
24 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Mushy, wrinkled, moldy, or acidic-smelling grapes should only be food for your compost.—
Karla Walsh,
Better Homes & Gardens,
30 Jan. 2026
-
Dark roasts are less acidic than other roasts.—
Emily Santora,
Health,
30 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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What’s lacking is acid, some tang, to cut through the excess of richness.—
Bill Addison,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Jan. 2026
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What begins as a slow, lumbering triplet rhythm gradually morphs into a fleet and elegant quasi-acid jam; drums that start off gently turn tough and clattering before the whole thing fades out in a soft sunset glow.—
Philip Sherburne,
Pitchfork,
14 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
The Chill Factor Perhaps the most biting statistic of the season so far is the temperature.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
27 Jan. 2026
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Morbidly Jewish finds Raanan at his most biting, acerbic, angry, Jewish, and, as always…loud.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
5 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Barbed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/barbed. Accessed 11 Feb. 2026.
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