Definition of causticnext

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective caustic contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of caustic are acrid, mordant, and scathing. While all these words mean "stingingly incisive," caustic suggests a biting wit.

caustic comments

When is acrid a more appropriate choice than caustic?

While the synonyms acrid and caustic are close in meaning, acrid implies bitterness and often malevolence.

acrid invective

In what contexts can mordant take the place of caustic?

In some situations, the words mordant and caustic are roughly equivalent. However, mordant suggests a wit that is used with deadly effectiveness.

mordant reviews of the play

When might scathing be a better fit than caustic?

Although the words scathing and caustic have much in common, scathing implies indignant attacks delivered with fierce severity.

a scathing satire

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of caustic His chief antagonist is his caustic first wife, Queen Marguerite (Joy DeMichelle), who operates as a kind of a martinet death doula. Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 13 May 2026 Once again charming viewers with his native Australian accent, the actor remains effortlessly entertaining while using his charisma to neutralize caustic dialogue that would flatten a less likable performer on impact. Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 6 May 2026 The most caustic people in the world often have the softest underbellies — at least if Alden Ehrenreich is playing them. Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 29 Apr. 2026 But The Last Five Years’ framework as a caustic duet means that the choice of Cathy can’t be taken lightly. Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 20 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for caustic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for caustic
Adjective
  • Shah’s closest ally (and the person most willing to call Shah on his lies to himself and others) is his cousin Zulfi, a gigantic character who Khan energizes with fast-talking charm, sarcastic asides, and an assessing glare that can cut through anyone’s defenses.
    Joe Reid, Vulture, 29 May 2026
  • Yet another compared the look to Van Gogh, while others were more than ready to take Bieber up on her presumably sarcastic offer to accept appointments.
    Marci Robin, Allure, 25 May 2026
Adjective
  • Missing many opportunities for genuine satirical home runs , this sixth go round doesn’t try to reinvent the wheel but unfortunately can’t find much new to say about this genre, instead stuck in the same old formula even with the OG cast and characters back in charge.
    Pete Hammond, Deadline, 4 June 2026
  • Cattelan is known for satirical pieces that challenge popular culture, often provoking debates around conceptual art.
    Jack Guy, CNN Money, 3 June 2026
Adjective
  • Lemon Juice Method Like other acidic ingredients, lemon juice can help tackle mineral buildup and refresh the toilet bowl with a clean, citrus scent.
    Louise Parks, Martha Stewart, 2 June 2026
  • Club soda is another popular choice, especially for absorbing acidic stains like red wine.
    Nafeesah Allen, Better Homes & Gardens, 31 May 2026
Adjective
  • New York — In New York’s Hudson Valley, the artist Anicka Yi has erected columns bursting with mercurial microbial life, in hues of acid green and coffee, arranged like an archaeological dig at Storm King Art Center.
    Jacqui Palumbo, CNN Money, 29 May 2026
  • There are acid critiques of settler colonialism alongside tributes to the majesty of the American landscape, sober revisitations of enslavement alongside hopeful pleas for liberation, bitter denouncements of intervention in wars abroad alongside quaint homages to homespun Americanness.
    Alex Greenberger, ARTnews.com, 28 May 2026
Adjective
  • Cage had his arm smashed multiple times, Wheeler had a piece of his nose nearly taken off and barbed wire scraped the skin of each competitor.
    Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 25 May 2026
  • Homes and gardens sit behind protective walls and gates with barbed wire.
    Eleanor Beardsley, NPR, 19 May 2026
Adjective
  • The Ocean Observatories Initiative, or OOI, was set up in 2016 and is made up of around 900 instruments in parts of the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans specially designed to withstand the immense pressure and corrosive saltiness of the ocean depths.
    Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 3 June 2026
  • As Israel tightens control over swaths of Gaza, soldiers describe confusing, often invisible boundaries, pressure to ‘hold the line at all costs’ and a corrosive sense that Palestinian lives barely count.
    Sam Mednick, Los Angeles Times, 30 May 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Caustic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/caustic. Accessed 9 Jun. 2026.

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