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
The pair have traded many barbed comments since Khan was elected to lead London in 2016 — Khan strongly criticized the president the same year for pledging a travel ban on a number of majority-Muslim countries, which was enacted in 2017.
—
Patrick Smith, NBC news, 24 Sep. 2025
Protests outside the Broadview facility continued midday Friday, with a handful of demonstrators holding up signs and cellphones toward a fence topped with barbed wire, video from the scene shows.
—Alisha Ebrahimji, CNN Money, 19 Sep. 2025
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, 18 Sep. 2025
Only those working at the listening station (kept separate from the rest of the compound with barbed wire and a guard shack) knew what was really going on.
—A.k. Whitney, Oc Register, 9 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for barbed
Patrick Smith, NBC news, 24 Sep. 2025
Protests outside the Broadview facility continued midday Friday, with a handful of demonstrators holding up signs and cellphones toward a fence topped with barbed wire, video from the scene shows.
—Alisha Ebrahimji, CNN Money, 19 Sep. 2025
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, 18 Sep. 2025
Only those working at the listening station (kept separate from the rest of the compound with barbed wire and a guard shack) knew what was really going on.
—A.k. Whitney, Oc Register, 9 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for barbed
Recent Examples of Synonyms for barbed
Adjective
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Light, silly, and satirical, knowing your genre tropes makes for an even better viewing experience.—
Gwen Ihnat,
Entertainment Weekly,
18 Oct. 2025
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Director and co-writer Byun Sung-hyun signals his satirical interests early, skipping an intense look at the start of the attack and focusing on an earplug-donning passenger who sleeps through the initial proclamation.—
Kayti Burt,
Time,
17 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Justine Lupe plays Joanne’s sarcastic best friend, sister, sometimes-advisor and podcast co-host Morgan Williams.—
Skyler Trepel,
PEOPLE,
25 Oct. 2025
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As a model named Carl, stuck in a relationship corrupted by microcelebrity and Instagram view counts, Dickinson ticks with exasperation and sarcastic logic, his jaw clenched, his eyes wide and staring.—
Carrie Battan,
Vulture,
6 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Pot the hibiscus in a pot filled with acidic potting mix.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
20 Oct. 2025
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The petals close due to the DNA folding when the environment becomes acidic.—
Jijo Malayil,
Interesting Engineering,
20 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Avoid an acid overload of tart and tangy (pickles and citrus), a bold flavor competition, sweet and funky flavors colliding (fruity jams and aged cheeses), and a clash of spicy meats and cheeses with delicate fruits and accompaniments.—
Catharine Kaufman,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
13 Oct. 2025
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Normally, acid from citrus is used to curdle the milk, before the solids are removed to leave a rich drink.—
Amarachi Orie,
CNN Money,
3 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Barbed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/barbed. Accessed 28 Oct. 2025.
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