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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of barbs
Dallas Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones couldn’t escape Jon Hamm’s barbs Thursday night at the NFL Honors ceremony.
—
Sportsday Staff, Dallas Morning News, 5 Feb. 2026
Metal barbs from the device lodge in the skin and deliver high-voltage electrical current, causing intense pain and temporary loss of muscle control.
—Michele Heisler, The Conversation, 4 Feb. 2026
The two traded personal barbs, rekindling history from more than a decade ago.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 3 Feb. 2026
Michigan’s Dusty May and Michigan State’s Tom Izzo exchanged barbs this week after a tense game over the weekend.
—Chris Branch, New York Times, 3 Feb. 2026
The trio has great comedic chemistry, with Marissa constantly exchanging witty barbs with Jamie and barking orders at Harper, while the latter two bond over their mutual messiness.
—Glenn Garner, Deadline, 26 Jan. 2026
Newsom has trolled Trump for months with social media barbs, delighting some Democratic loyalists who have pushed party leaders and potential 2028 candidates to take a harder line.
—Dave Goldiner, Mercury News, 20 Jan. 2026
Ben leaves, too, leaving Phyllis and Rhoda to exchange barbs.
—Angela Andaloro, PEOPLE, 15 Jan. 2026
Surfers have been out in great numbers at this popular surf spot, thanks to smallish surf, somewhat warm water — by winter standards — and sunny skies after days of rain, meaning more beachgoers came across the stingrays and their pointy barbs.
—Laylan Connelly, Oc Register, 13 Jan. 2026
Sportsday Staff, Dallas Morning News, 5 Feb. 2026
Metal barbs from the device lodge in the skin and deliver high-voltage electrical current, causing intense pain and temporary loss of muscle control.
—Michele Heisler, The Conversation, 4 Feb. 2026
The two traded personal barbs, rekindling history from more than a decade ago.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 3 Feb. 2026
Michigan’s Dusty May and Michigan State’s Tom Izzo exchanged barbs this week after a tense game over the weekend.
—Chris Branch, New York Times, 3 Feb. 2026
The trio has great comedic chemistry, with Marissa constantly exchanging witty barbs with Jamie and barking orders at Harper, while the latter two bond over their mutual messiness.
—Glenn Garner, Deadline, 26 Jan. 2026
Newsom has trolled Trump for months with social media barbs, delighting some Democratic loyalists who have pushed party leaders and potential 2028 candidates to take a harder line.
—Dave Goldiner, Mercury News, 20 Jan. 2026
Ben leaves, too, leaving Phyllis and Rhoda to exchange barbs.
—Angela Andaloro, PEOPLE, 15 Jan. 2026
Surfers have been out in great numbers at this popular surf spot, thanks to smallish surf, somewhat warm water — by winter standards — and sunny skies after days of rain, meaning more beachgoers came across the stingrays and their pointy barbs.
—Laylan Connelly, Oc Register, 13 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for barbs
insults
Noun
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Rockrohr used both sides of this visual coin, telling of groundwork done by the late Harry Teshima to bring Black residents into the community and tales of lasting friendships and stories of insults thrown at Black students.—
Jerry Shnay,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Feb. 2026
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The scuffles came amid an already intense night, with tensions fueled by a brutal press conference on Thursday for the title fight between Lopez and Stevenson, during which the boxers exchanged insults about each other’s family members.—
Jessica Schladebeck,
New York Daily News,
31 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Barbs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/barbs. Accessed 11 Feb. 2026.
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