as in acidic
very clear and direct
She provided an incisive analysis that changed my entire opinion on the issue.
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Recent Examples of incisive
The Silver Hugo for Best Female Performance goes to Eszter Tompa for KONTINENTAL ’25 for her subtle, incisive, never caricatural acting.
—
Christian Blauvelt, IndieWire, 24 Oct. 2025
Rather, the album sounds and feels like it was made by thoughtful practitioners of a genre, not tourists attempting to tap into nostalgia, using disco as an incisive tool of commentary on the now.
—Hanif Abdurraqib, New Yorker, 18 Oct. 2025
There are a couple incisive books that take on the dismal state of our digital age, by Cory Doctorow and Paul Leonardi.
—Julia Hass, Literary Hub, 7 Oct. 2025
Mussolini is at once an incisive psychological portrait of one of the 20th century’s most destructive individuals and a clear-eyed dissection of fascism’s politically expedient, intellectually incoherent origins.
—Judy Berman, Time, 29 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for incisive
Christian Blauvelt, IndieWire, 24 Oct. 2025
Rather, the album sounds and feels like it was made by thoughtful practitioners of a genre, not tourists attempting to tap into nostalgia, using disco as an incisive tool of commentary on the now.
—Hanif Abdurraqib, New Yorker, 18 Oct. 2025
There are a couple incisive books that take on the dismal state of our digital age, by Cory Doctorow and Paul Leonardi.
—Julia Hass, Literary Hub, 7 Oct. 2025
Mussolini is at once an incisive psychological portrait of one of the 20th century’s most destructive individuals and a clear-eyed dissection of fascism’s politically expedient, intellectually incoherent origins.
—Judy Berman, Time, 29 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for incisive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for incisive
Adjective
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Swap apple cider vinegar for red wine vinegar, white wine vinegar, or lemon juice for a different acidic punch.—
Kimberly Holland,
Southern Living,
3 Nov. 2025
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But in cheeses with a pH of 5 or lower (more acidic), no virus was found.—
Pranjal Malewar,
New Atlas,
3 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
The idea of dissolving the self in an acid bath of erotic imagery was not, in the end, so unappealing.—
Daniel Kolitz,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Oct. 2025
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Avoid an acid overload of tart and tangy (pickles and citrus), a bold flavor competition, sweet and funky flavors colliding (fruity jams and aged cheeses), and a clash of spicy meats and cheeses with delicate fruits and accompaniments.—
Catharine Kaufman,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
13 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Netflix is an ironic home for a swoony love letter to cinema; the streamer remains fairly uninterested in the theatrical experience.—
David Sims,
The Atlantic,
4 Nov. 2025
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The reaction wasn’t completely unexpected, though the timing was ironic, said the 34-year-old artist.—
Kaleigh Werner,
Footwear News,
31 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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The initiative focuses on publishing concise, high-quality species descriptions to shorten the gap between discovery and formal recognition drastically.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
16 Oct. 2025
-
The other cuts in as needed — concise, disarming, right on cue.—
Alma Rota,
Rolling Stone,
14 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Though even the most trenchant critical and fan analyses of Swift's latest release haven't detected any mention, covert or overt, to Jonas, his place in the annals of Swiftian lyrical history is still prominent.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
20 Oct. 2025
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It was celebrated as much for D’Angelo’s ever-inventive musicality and arrangements — copious guitars, and vocal tracks stacked to the heavens — as well as his politically trenchant lyrics.—
Jon Blistein,
Rolling Stone,
14 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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But for those crafting it with Boorman, the nightmare is more painful and more poignant than that.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
24 Oct. 2025
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But there’s something different — something more poignant — about watching this particular circle begin to vanish.—
Benjamin Svetkey,
HollywoodReporter,
22 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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There’s Sarah, the determined novice; there’s Zoë, the irreverent, acerbic detective; there’s Joe, the romantic who tries to impress Sarah by guessing things about her from looking at her hands.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
29 Oct. 2025
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Sybil was hotelier Basil Fawlty’s acerbic and bossy wife, who argued frequently with Basil and was often the subject of his ire.—
Max Goldbart,
Deadline,
28 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Perhaps the distance was a result of Goldman’s eventual drug use or the appearance of The Professor of Desire published in 1977, whose sardonic portrait of David Kepesh drew heavily on Goldman.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
20 Oct. 2025
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The time to be sardonic had passed.—
Eddie Huang,
Curbed,
9 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Incisive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/incisive. Accessed 5 Nov. 2025.
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