1
as in bitter
causing intense discomfort to one's skin
a biting wind that only the toughest football fans were willing to endure
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in sarcastic
marked by the use of wit that is intended to cause hurt feelings
the biting comments by the pundits about the government's inaction
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of biting
Matt Grobar, Deadline, 5 Jan. 2026
France and Spain, by contrast, have centrist or center-left governments and favored a harder line and more biting retaliatory tariffs.
—Matthias Matthijs, Foreign Affairs, 12 Dec. 2025
P. Claire Dodson, Vogue, 12 June 2026
Many biting flies won’t enter barns or buildings.
—Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 12 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for biting
Adjective
Morbidly Jewish finds Raanan at his most biting, acerbic, angry, Jewish, and, as always…loud.
—Matt Grobar, Deadline, 5 Jan. 2026
France and Spain, by contrast, have centrist or center-left governments and favored a harder line and more biting retaliatory tariffs.
—Matthias Matthijs, Foreign Affairs, 12 Dec. 2025
Verb
Morissette herself performed Mary Jane and You Oughtta Know, sounding just as biting and iconic as ever.
—P. Claire Dodson, Vogue, 12 June 2026
Many biting flies won’t enter barns or buildings.
—Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 12 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for biting
Recent Examples of Synonyms for biting
Adjective
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The ruling adds to a string of legal setbacks for Musk in his increasingly bitter feud with OpenAI CEO Sam Altman.—
Kaelan Deese,
The Washington Examiner,
15 June 2026
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While this winter was colder and snowier than previous years, snowfall on the ground acted much like a blanket for ticks, providing shelter and warmth against the bitter cold temperatures.—
Stephen Underwood,
Hartford Courant,
15 June 2026
Adjective
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There were the polite claps after good attacks by the Swiss, sarcastic whistles by the Qatari fans after their team again failed to mount a threat.—
Joseph Dycus,
Mercury News,
13 June 2026
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When the 10th batter (Dalton Rushing) struck out for the first out of the inning, the diminished number of Pirates fans still on hand gave a sarcastic cheer for their team’s stick-to-itiveness.—
Bill Plunkett,
Oc Register,
10 June 2026
Verb
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Pests and Disease Sap-sucking insects like thrips, spider mites, aphids, and whiteflies can stunt plant growth or cause severe flower and leaf drop.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
Southern Living,
16 June 2026
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Affected babies may show symptoms including constipation, poor feeding, drooping eyelid, sluggish pupils, low muscle tone, difficulty sucking and swallowing, weak or altered crying, difficulty breathing, and generalized weakness.—
Kerry Breen,
CBS News,
14 June 2026
Adjective
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The rotations were sharp, hedges were hard and defensive possessions ended one-and-done.—
Fiifi Frimpong,
New York Daily News,
14 June 2026
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Perrotta’s novels have been lavishly praised for their uncanny ability to articulate dark, often uncomfortable emotional truths of American culture, using humor and sharp observational skills to explore profound shifts in how people communicate and coexist.—
Christopher Arnott,
Hartford Courant,
14 June 2026
Adjective
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Moore was a Baptist evangelist, admired for his knowledge of the Scriptures and for his satirical edge from the pulpit.—
Michael Luo,
New Yorker,
14 June 2026
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In Lebanon, a look-alike delivery driver posts satirical videos and pranks unsuspecting residents, showing the fear Adraee inspires.—
Melanie Lidman,
Los Angeles Times,
9 June 2026
Adjective
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Jean-Philippe Mateta, named in France’s World Cup squad earlier this month, reacted superbly after Rayo keeper Augusto Batalla could only parry a stinging Wharton shot from the edge of the box.—
Dermot Corrigan,
New York Times,
27 May 2026
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Coming up short in the 2025 ISL boys lacrosse championship left a stinging sensation for Tabor Academy.—
Brendan Connelly,
Boston Herald,
17 May 2026
Adjective
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Devil's Rope Museum in McLean, Texas Roughly an hour's drive from Amarillo, the Devil's Rope Museum is an interesting stop, with exhibits dedicated to the history of Route 66 in Texas, as well as the importance of barbed wire and its impact on the American West.—
Elizabeth Rhodes,
Travel + Leisure,
18 June 2026
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Johnson was initially refused entry, but got inside by using a set of stairs to hop a barbed wire fence, prosecutors said.—
Evy Lewis,
Chicago Tribune,
18 June 2026
Adjective
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One spring day in Paris many years ago, my wife, Diana, a most penetrating photographer, capable of seeing like no one else, decided, as an experiment, to walk across the city blindfolded.—
Hisham Matar,
Harper's Magazine,
2 Aug. 2024
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Since the war began in Gaza, more than six months ago, the Israeli magazine +972 has published some of the most penetrating reporting on the Israel Defense Forces’ conduct.—
Isaac Chotiner,
The New Yorker,
12 Apr. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Biting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/biting. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
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