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
Peter Chawaga, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Aug. 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
Following the game, manager Dave Roberts said that the fan had been heckling Ohtani relentlessly up to that point, though the decision to acknowledge him was a surprising one.
—Peter Chawaga, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Aug. 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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In addition to Carter’s disqualification, Nolan Smith was flagged for taunting and roughing the quarterback.—
Zach Berman,
New York Times,
8 Sep. 2025
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Rodgers held up his hand to his ear, taunting the fans who were talking smack to him.—
Michael Gallagher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Spotify has been teasing the high-fidelity format for years.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
10 Sep. 2025
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On Instagram, Alcaraz — who defeated Jannik Sinner in four sets to win his second title at the prestigious tournament held in New York — shared a carousel of images, teasing the process of his hairstyle switch-up.—
Skyler Caruso,
PEOPLE,
10 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The intensity of Irish expressions of solidarity in 2024 caused one pro-Israel commentator, Ben Cohen, to coin the term Paddystinian as a derisive epithet to counter the narrative.—
Philip Metres
August 27,
Literary Hub,
27 Aug. 2025
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Wall Street reacted to the delays with a derisive nickname TACO, for Trump Always Chickens Out.—
Bart Jansen,
USA Today,
11 July 2025
Verb
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Student accused of mocking Charlie Kirk death Camryn Giselle Booker, a student at Texas Tech University, was arrested on charges of assault after an altercation with students mourning the death of Charlie Kirk.—
Amanda Castro
Hannah Parry
Shane Croucher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
15 Sep. 2025
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Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said the Pentagon is seeking to identify and potentially discipline anyone who has made posts celebrating or mocking Kirk’s death.—
Ross O'Keefe,
The Washington Examiner,
13 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 18 Sep. 2025.
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