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 New research published Tuesday from UC San Diego’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography found that the barrels with halos contain caustic alkaline waste — a highly corrosive material that has been leaking out of the barrels for decades. Maura Fox, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Sep. 2025 Jeanne Tripplehorn is having a blast as Dale’s caustic widow Betty Jo. Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 4 Sep. 2025 Ross gets away with such a surfeit of sentiment precisely because of his naturally caustic inclinations; the jokes are sharp enough and the laughs are hard and plentiful enough that all of the schmaltz feels not just charming but well-earned. Chris Jones, New York Daily News, 19 Aug. 2025 Both directors rely on a kind of caustic humor to uncover the class struggle that has always complicated the colonial one. Lovia Gyarkye, IndieWire, 19 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for caustic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for caustic
Adjective
  • Following the mother-daughter duo of Lorelai Gilmore, played by Lauren Graham, and Rory, played by Alexis Bledel, Gilmore Girls was perfectly made for millennials, packed with wistful romances, frustrating dramatic turns and just enough sarcastic jokes.
    Stephanie Sengwe, PEOPLE, 5 Oct. 2025
  • Viewers on Reddit were amused by the extortionate price shown for the vacation deal in the recent post, with several sharing their sarcastic takes on it.
    Soo Kim, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • And the show has to be satirical.
    Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 28 Sep. 2025
  • Kuang's latest is a satirical look at the brutal nature of academia.
    Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 27 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • One way is when iron-rich rock is exposed to high temperatures and acidic conditions, but neither are evident in the area around Cheyava Falls.
    Keith Cooper, Space.com, 1 Oct. 2025
  • That occurs when the body runs out of insulin and starts burning fat for fuel, which can lead the blood to become dangerously acidic.
    Jonathan Lambert, NPR, 29 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Drinking coffee may stimulate an increase in acid production in the stomach.
    Carrie Madormo, Verywell Health, 6 Sep. 2025
  • This touchscreen pod machine has a lot to offer, including rich, balanced, coffee; a whopping eight brewing sizes; one-touch presets for low-acid, Americano, iced coffee, and cold brew; plus customizable temperature control and brew strength.
    Mark Marino, Bon Appetit Magazine, 29 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • There are no spools of barbed wire atop its fences or looming guard towers to announce its purpose.
    Shirsho Dasgupta, Miami Herald, 26 Sep. 2025
  • The pair have traded many barbed comments since Khan was elected to lead London in 2016 — Khan strongly criticized the president the same year for pledging a travel ban on a number of majority-Muslim countries, which was enacted in 2017.
    Patrick Smith, NBC news, 24 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Ensure that the mower is not positioned near any corrosive materials, ignition sources, or wet areas.
    Timothy Dale, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 Oct. 2025
  • Deep lab understanding of electrochemistry with the pragmatic systems engineering required to get field‐reliant hardware working in remote, corrosive environments.
    Kapil Kajal, Interesting Engineering, 23 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Caustic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/caustic. Accessed 7 Oct. 2025.

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