incisive

adjective

Definition of incisivenext
as in acidic
very clear and direct She provided an incisive analysis that changed my entire opinion on the issue.

Related Words

Relevance

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 incisive Marjane was known for her wariness of interviews, and her ability to disarm with sharp wit and bittersweet humor could turn incisive. — Literary Hub, 18 June 2026 Beyond classic sea vistas, Conecta Magaluf-Mallorca’s conference strand also allowed delegates a rapid, often incisive catch-up on the state of the international TV business, as well as how cutting edge tourist concerns have become a new driver for part of the film-TV industry. — John Hopewell, Variety, 1 June 2026 As embodied by John Lithgow, Dahl is incisive, avuncular, irascible, acerbic, and always entertaining. — Yair Rosenberg, The Atlantic, 31 May 2026 The same goes for Einbinder, who, like Ava, has established herself as a politically outspoken, incisive comedic voice. — Michael Schulman, New Yorker, 29 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for incisive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for incisive
  1. acidic
  2. acid
  3. ironic
  4. concise
  5. trenchant
  6. poignant
  7. acerbic
  8. sardonic
Adjective
  • Third, adding synthetic fertilizer makes soil more acidic, which can inhibit arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and mycelial development.
    — Esther Ndumi Ngumbi, The Conversation, 8 July 2026
  • Baking soda works by absorbing odors and neutralizing musty, acidic smells from mildew, mold, and bacteria.
    — Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 4 July 2026
Definition of acidic
Adjective
  • Controlling the temperature protects the battery’s internal chemistry from acid buildup and long-term damage.
    — Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 8 July 2026
  • Scotto highlighted that Kinetik has purpose-built its system for sour gas handling, giving it an edge over new competitors that may face permitting delays of at least three years to build acid gas injection wells.
    — TipRanks.com Staff, CNBC, 21 June 2026
Definition of acid
Adjective
  • Such are the perils of popularity, all the more ironic because Oliver never intended to be a populist.
    — Guy Lodge, Variety, 3 July 2026
  • In person, Huang subdues his ironic braggadocio with polite eye contact and rolling belly laughs at his own jokes.
    — Mariella Rudi, Los Angeles Times, 1 July 2026
Definition of ironic
Adjective
  • Trust her to direct you to the right bottle on her concise, personal list, or to pour you a glass of something exciting from a nightly-changing selection.
    — Bill Addison, Los Angeles Times, 9 July 2026
  • Donna Kelce, mother of Travis and Jason, gave a concise reaction to the wedding while speaking with Macy's at the company's Fourth of July event in New York.
    — Brendan Morrow, USA Today, 5 July 2026
Definition of concise
Adjective
  • More so than its source material, the new series is a monster mystery mixed with a trenchant social thriller.
    — Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 6 July 2026
  • If philosophy begins in wonder, trenchant social drama seems to start in laughter.
    — Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 29 June 2026
Definition of trenchant
Adjective
  • And in the film’s poignant final scene, Joe despondently plays his piano − only for Angela to sit beside him and start plunking along.
    — Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 11 July 2026
  • Sidny Lopes Cabral’s delightful curling strike was one of the great World Cup moments and the image of him in the crowd right after was poignant.
    — Anantaajith Raghuraman, New York Times, 11 July 2026
Definition of poignant
Adjective
  • At the level of style, there was nothing obviously flamboyant about Allen’s music, nor her presence on stage, the quiet, acerbic composure of her delivery.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 13 July 2026
  • An unswervingly loyal oncologist, Wilson was the acerbic doctor's only true friend.
    — Danny Horn, Entertainment Weekly, 5 July 2026
Definition of acerbic
Adjective
  • Cavill, absent from the proceedings for long stretches, remains a sturdy presence as the most buff screen Sherlock ever, while Helena Bonham Carter is again reliably amusing as Enola and Sherlock’s sardonic mother Eudoria.
    — Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 30 June 2026
  • And Milly’s being this sort of seething, disconnected, sardonic character who is more of an observer.
    — Mike Ryan, IndieWire, 18 June 2026
Definition of sardonic

Browse Nearby Words

incisions
incisive
incisiveness
See all Nearby Words

Podcast

Cite this Entry

“Incisive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/incisive. Accessed 15 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on incisive

Nglish: Translation of incisive for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 10
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
banana-mirrored
Contradictory Words Quiz Pick out which word means one thing…and the opp...
See All