as in taunting
to attack repeatedly with mean put-downs or insults
the players were heckled by disappointed fans
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of heckling
Jillian Frankel, People.com, 21 Aug. 2025
Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 23 Oct. 2025
Also at the vigil, British Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy vowed to never stop fighting terrorism amid heckling from the crowd.
—Peter Wilkinson, CNN Money, 3 Oct. 2025
Actress and comedian Heather McMahan stepped down as emcee for the Ryder Cup after she was heard heckling and cursing at golfers during the championship game over the weekend.
—Brittney Melton, NPR, 29 Sep. 2025
The Bethpage crowd had been brutal, heckling players throughout the weekend.
—Devlina Sarkar, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Sep. 2025
In April, a Cleveland Guardians fan was ejected after heckling Red Sox outfielder Jarren Duran, who had just recently opened up about a past suicide attempt.
—Sean Neumann, People.com, 18 Aug. 2025
The audience was heckling Flood throughout his answer, then erupted in a crescendo of boos at his conclusion.
—Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 5 Aug. 2025
China’s extreme sports fan culture, which can include fan mobs, cyberbullying of athletes and heckling behavior at sports events, was especially visible around the Paris Olympics last year.
—Peter Guo, NBC news, 3 Aug. 2025
Verb
Vice President Vance appeared on FOX News Channel’s The Ingraham Angle hours after the heckling incident, telling the host about visiting with the national guardsmen and discussing recent changes to the city, while briefly mentioning the protesters.
—Jillian Frankel, People.com, 21 Aug. 2025
Adjective
Lorey presented videos to Fox News Digital that showed other spectators at the game heckling the girls in attendance who were there with Lorey.
—Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 23 Oct. 2025
Also at the vigil, British Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy vowed to never stop fighting terrorism amid heckling from the crowd.
—Peter Wilkinson, CNN Money, 3 Oct. 2025
Actress and comedian Heather McMahan stepped down as emcee for the Ryder Cup after she was heard heckling and cursing at golfers during the championship game over the weekend.
—Brittney Melton, NPR, 29 Sep. 2025
The Bethpage crowd had been brutal, heckling players throughout the weekend.
—Devlina Sarkar, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Sep. 2025
In April, a Cleveland Guardians fan was ejected after heckling Red Sox outfielder Jarren Duran, who had just recently opened up about a past suicide attempt.
—Sean Neumann, People.com, 18 Aug. 2025
The audience was heckling Flood throughout his answer, then erupted in a crescendo of boos at his conclusion.
—Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 5 Aug. 2025
China’s extreme sports fan culture, which can include fan mobs, cyberbullying of athletes and heckling behavior at sports events, was especially visible around the Paris Olympics last year.
—Peter Guo, NBC news, 3 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for heckling
Verb
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Gilligan wants to see people from across the partisan spectrum interact face to face, instead of taunting each other online.—
Judy Berman,
Time,
27 Oct. 2025
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Running back Javonte Williams was fined $16,830 for unnecessary roughness (use of the helmet), center Brock Hoffman was fined $6,111 for taunting, and safety Donovan Wilson was fined $23,186 for unnecessary roughness (use of the helmet).—
Michael Gallagher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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To get a sense of his whole deal, look no further than the half-mocking, half-earnest title of his latest album, Country!—
Jonathan Bernstein,
Rolling Stone,
23 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Bieber made his debut on Twitch yesterday with a stream that included footage of the singer playing basketball, shooting pool with friends and teasing his upcoming Coachella dates.—
Gil Kaufman,
Billboard,
23 Oct. 2025
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Samsung’s first Galaxy XR headset is now official, but that hasn’t stopped the company teasing future AR products.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
22 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Earlier that day, Minaj had posted derisive comments about Roc Nation, suggesting the company had unsuccessfully tried to sign her.—
Andrew Flanagan,
Variety,
15 Oct. 2025
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Spokespeople turned away media requests for such information with a derisive laugh.—
Ron Kampeas,
The Washington Examiner,
26 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Where internet trolls often come off as flippant or spiteful, there is a relentless sense of play and mastery of language in even McNally’s most needling posts.—
Fran Hoepfner,
Vulture,
5 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Heckling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/heckling. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
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