as in insult
an act or expression showing scorn and usually intended to hurt another's feelings
the brickbats were flying the night that those two bitchy divas were seated at the same table
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Recent Examples of brickbat
India has faced brickbats for not testing enough despite the emphasis laid by the World Health Organisation.
—
Niharika Sharma, Quartz India, 22 Mar. 2020
His popularity has survived brickbats and thrived despite personal woes.
—Matthew Daly, Anchorage Daily News, 5 Feb. 2020
Mr Johnson is hyper-sensitive to the brickbats of the liberal elite into which he was born, and sulked after the referendum when his neighbours in Islington turned against him.
—Boris Johnson, The Economist, 4 July 2019
The task has made him a target of brickbats from some elements of the Republican party, including President Trump, who see the Mueller investigation as tainted by political bias.
—Sadie Gurman, WSJ, 19 Oct. 2018
Lenny, who was accustomed to brickbats, picked himself up and kept his conducting dates, but Jamie believes that Felicia, suffering from public humiliation, was never the same.
—David Denby, The New Yorker, 16 June 2018
Years of critical brickbats toughened Albee’s already tough hide and taught him to trust only himself.
—Jesse Green, New York Times, 21 Feb. 2018
Niharika Sharma, Quartz India, 22 Mar. 2020
His popularity has survived brickbats and thrived despite personal woes.
—Matthew Daly, Anchorage Daily News, 5 Feb. 2020
Mr Johnson is hyper-sensitive to the brickbats of the liberal elite into which he was born, and sulked after the referendum when his neighbours in Islington turned against him.
—Boris Johnson, The Economist, 4 July 2019
The task has made him a target of brickbats from some elements of the Republican party, including President Trump, who see the Mueller investigation as tainted by political bias.
—Sadie Gurman, WSJ, 19 Oct. 2018
Lenny, who was accustomed to brickbats, picked himself up and kept his conducting dates, but Jamie believes that Felicia, suffering from public humiliation, was never the same.
—David Denby, The New Yorker, 16 June 2018
Years of critical brickbats toughened Albee’s already tough hide and taught him to trust only himself.
—Jesse Green, New York Times, 21 Feb. 2018
Recent Examples of Synonyms for brickbat
Noun
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An unusual insult in Grease came to be thanks to a flub on an actor's part.—
Marina Watts,
Entertainment Weekly,
2 June 2026
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And, to add insult to Cardinals’ fans’ injury, with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning of that same game, Jordan Walker hit a ball nearly 100-mph into the gap in left-center.—
Dan Freedman,
Forbes.com,
1 June 2026
Noun
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There’s a lot of sarcasm, and a lot of personalities.—
Anne Thompson,
IndieWire,
28 May 2026
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His willingness to deliver unvarnished opinions, often sprinkled with sarcasm or humor, has been refreshing for Gator Nation after four seasons of Billy Napier’s measured — at times droning — delivery.—
Edgar Thompson,
The Orlando Sentinel,
27 May 2026
Noun
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The close proximity of the plant to homes and schools led to widespread outrage and now dozens of lawsuits after residents were displaced for days.—
Jason Henry,
Oc Register,
30 May 2026
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Williams’ ruling could reignite a case that has roiled Washington, where the deal arranged between the president, Internal Revenue Service and Department of Justice has been met with bipartisan outrage and questions about how the president could sue and settle with his own administration.—
Milena Malaver,
Miami Herald,
30 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Brickbat.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/brickbat. Accessed 4 Jun. 2026.
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