as in insults
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of barbs
One effect of this austerity and repression is to focus attention on Albee’s language, with its slippery banalities and barbs.
—
Steven Winn, San Francisco Chronicle, 3 Apr. 2026
Les and Lindy can push each other's buttons and wind each other with barbs that only the closest couples have the power to sling.
—Sarah Rodman, Entertainment Weekly, 31 Mar. 2026
Mullin and Paul, the one Republican to vote against confirming the incoming Secretary, have exchanged barbs in the past, including during Mullin’s confirmation hearing.
—Chantelle Lee, Time, 24 Mar. 2026
Russell — the devoted husband of Paige (Elle Chapman) — absorbs hornet stings and sharper barbs from his mother-in-law, Stacy Clyburn (Michelle Pfeiffer).
—Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 24 Mar. 2026
The Drake–Kendrick Lamar battle stands as one of hip-hop’s most defining modern rivalries, marked by blistering diss tracks, deeply personal barbs, and a shift in public perception that favored Lamar.
—Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 23 Mar. 2026
The former mixed martial arts fighter vowed to take a less partisan and confrontational approach to the job than predecessor Noem, even as both parties traded barbs.
—Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 18 Mar. 2026
There are campaign posters, a jingle blaring over loudspeakers, television cameras, lots of handshakes and selfies, and, of course, a stump speech full of pledges as well as barbs for the rival candidate.
—ABC News, 12 Mar. 2026
A couple of power players are trading barbs in a Chinese restaurant.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 27 Feb. 2026
Steven Winn, San Francisco Chronicle, 3 Apr. 2026
Les and Lindy can push each other's buttons and wind each other with barbs that only the closest couples have the power to sling.
—Sarah Rodman, Entertainment Weekly, 31 Mar. 2026
Mullin and Paul, the one Republican to vote against confirming the incoming Secretary, have exchanged barbs in the past, including during Mullin’s confirmation hearing.
—Chantelle Lee, Time, 24 Mar. 2026
Russell — the devoted husband of Paige (Elle Chapman) — absorbs hornet stings and sharper barbs from his mother-in-law, Stacy Clyburn (Michelle Pfeiffer).
—Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 24 Mar. 2026
The Drake–Kendrick Lamar battle stands as one of hip-hop’s most defining modern rivalries, marked by blistering diss tracks, deeply personal barbs, and a shift in public perception that favored Lamar.
—Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 23 Mar. 2026
The former mixed martial arts fighter vowed to take a less partisan and confrontational approach to the job than predecessor Noem, even as both parties traded barbs.
—Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 18 Mar. 2026
There are campaign posters, a jingle blaring over loudspeakers, television cameras, lots of handshakes and selfies, and, of course, a stump speech full of pledges as well as barbs for the rival candidate.
—ABC News, 12 Mar. 2026
A couple of power players are trading barbs in a Chinese restaurant.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 27 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for barbs
Noun
-
The game was halted in the 35th minute and the announcer at Stade Pierre-Mauroy urged the Lille fans to stop the insults hurled at their opponents.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
4 Apr. 2026
-
The fan repeatedly shouted insults at Punk while pledging allegiance to Reigns.—
Andrew Ravens,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
First seen at a night-club table of menacing lowlifes, Ida, whose mother tongue is Brooklynese, suddenly switches to a heavy British accent and dispenses a torrent of highly literary sarcasms.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
4 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Barbs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/barbs. Accessed 12 Apr. 2026.
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