as in insult
an act or expression showing scorn and usually intended to hurt another's feelings
delivered one last barb to his ex-girlfriend as he stalked away
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Recent Examples of barb
In fact, this year at the Preakness Alibi Breakfast, an annual affair at Pimlico where trainers, owners and others tell stories and trade barbs about their career and horses, Lukas and Baffert hijacked the event with witty repartee and joking much to the delight of those in attendance.
—
John Cherwa, Los Angeles Times, 29 June 2025
After all, the pair had spent years circling each other, trading barbs from afar and using the other’s political movement as a blend of punching bag and strawman.
—Philip Elliott, Time, 19 June 2025
There, candidates and state office holders trade barbs with their opponents and roast members of the other party.
—Hannah Pinski, The Courier-Journal, 28 July 2025
At the end of the week, after the Fed's meeting, investors will see more inflation data and the key monthly jobs report to see if the labor market continues to hold up despite the Trump's back-and-forth tariff barbs over the past few months.
—Medora Lee, USA Today, 28 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for barb
John Cherwa, Los Angeles Times, 29 June 2025
After all, the pair had spent years circling each other, trading barbs from afar and using the other’s political movement as a blend of punching bag and strawman.
—Philip Elliott, Time, 19 June 2025
There, candidates and state office holders trade barbs with their opponents and roast members of the other party.
—Hannah Pinski, The Courier-Journal, 28 July 2025
At the end of the week, after the Fed's meeting, investors will see more inflation data and the key monthly jobs report to see if the labor market continues to hold up despite the Trump's back-and-forth tariff barbs over the past few months.
—Medora Lee, USA Today, 28 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for barb
Recent Examples of Synonyms for barb
Noun
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Several diss tracks followed, with the musicians hurling increasingly spiteful insults at each other relating to accusations of domestic abuse, exploitation and pedophilia.—
Winston Cho,
HollywoodReporter,
13 Aug. 2025
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According to a cell phone video, obtained through CAIR, the man shouted several Islamophobic insults, including insults attacking Islam and the Prophet Muhammad.—
Sean Krofssik,
Hartford Courant,
11 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Ensuring fairness and avoiding bias in AI systems is paramount, as algorithms can inadvertently amplify discriminatory patterns from training data or misinterpret cultural nuances and sarcasm.—
Anees Ali Khan,
Forbes.com,
8 Aug. 2025
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Someone constantly uses sarcasm to undermine suggestions without offering alternatives.—
Dr. Diane Hamilton,
Forbes.com,
14 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Barb.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/barb. Accessed 22 Aug. 2025.
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