as in sarcasms
an act or expression showing scorn and usually intended to hurt another's feelings
panelists on that political talk show simply exchange insults, not ideas
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in offends
to cause hurt feelings or deep resentment in
insulted their hosts by casually remarking about the outdated look of their home
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of insults
Antonio Ferme, Variety, 2 Nov. 2025
The race has been no short of dogged, as insults between the candidates on the debate stage have led to archives investigations and defamation lawsuit threats.
—Molly Parks, The Washington Examiner, 30 Oct. 2025
The jabs and insults of earlier Presidents, though, however rough, stayed within the bounds of democratic discourse, the basic rule being that the other side also gets to make its case.
—Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 25 Oct. 2025
With every enemy dead, the familiar sounds of the Halo universe are gone — there’s no Grunts squeaking insults or Jackals chattering in another language.
—Alyssa Mercante, Rolling Stone, 24 Oct. 2025
Paul is no stranger to Trump’s ire and was subjected to insults from the president in a Truth Social post earlier this week.
—Ashleigh Fields, The Hill, 24 Oct. 2025
The insults came after Duffy made a series of public appearances to proclaim NASA's intention of reopening a contract with SpaceX for a moon lander for its upcoming Artemis III mission.
—Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 22 Oct. 2025
Pally goes with the flow as well as anyone, which puts an interviewer at ease — as that’s when inadvertent insults can happen.
—Tony Maglio, HollywoodReporter, 17 Oct. 2025
All of these forces generate insults and cause damage to your DNA, to your proteins, to your cells in general.
—Dominique Mosbergen, Time, 16 Oct. 2025
Rhett Bartlett, HollywoodReporter, 28 Oct. 2025
Attorney General Pam Bondi insults Democrats in Senate hearing.
—Sudiksha Kochi, USA Today, 8 Oct. 2025
In the case of Governor Pritzker insults his body, body shamed him.
—Khaleda Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Aug. 2025
No matter how many times Putin insults the president and ignores his calls for a total ceasefire in Ukraine, Trump returns for more humiliation.
—Trudy Rubin, Mercury News, 15 Aug. 2025
Noun
On screen, Lawrence and Pattinson hurl nonstop insults at each other in loud bursts of verbal warfare, a striking contrast to the duo’s quieter working relationship.
—Antonio Ferme, Variety, 2 Nov. 2025
The race has been no short of dogged, as insults between the candidates on the debate stage have led to archives investigations and defamation lawsuit threats.
—Molly Parks, The Washington Examiner, 30 Oct. 2025
The jabs and insults of earlier Presidents, though, however rough, stayed within the bounds of democratic discourse, the basic rule being that the other side also gets to make its case.
—Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 25 Oct. 2025
With every enemy dead, the familiar sounds of the Halo universe are gone — there’s no Grunts squeaking insults or Jackals chattering in another language.
—Alyssa Mercante, Rolling Stone, 24 Oct. 2025
Paul is no stranger to Trump’s ire and was subjected to insults from the president in a Truth Social post earlier this week.
—Ashleigh Fields, The Hill, 24 Oct. 2025
The insults came after Duffy made a series of public appearances to proclaim NASA's intention of reopening a contract with SpaceX for a moon lander for its upcoming Artemis III mission.
—Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 22 Oct. 2025
Pally goes with the flow as well as anyone, which puts an interviewer at ease — as that’s when inadvertent insults can happen.
—Tony Maglio, HollywoodReporter, 17 Oct. 2025
All of these forces generate insults and cause damage to your DNA, to your proteins, to your cells in general.
—Dominique Mosbergen, Time, 16 Oct. 2025
Verb
Basil, of course, is far from perfect, a rude, neurotic, accident-prone manager who insults guests, hides his gambling winnings from his wife and organizes an elaborate impersonation of her when his surprise anniversary party backfires.
—Rhett Bartlett, HollywoodReporter, 28 Oct. 2025
Attorney General Pam Bondi insults Democrats in Senate hearing.
—Sudiksha Kochi, USA Today, 8 Oct. 2025
In the case of Governor Pritzker insults his body, body shamed him.
—Khaleda Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Aug. 2025
No matter how many times Putin insults the president and ignores his calls for a total ceasefire in Ukraine, Trump returns for more humiliation.
—Trudy Rubin, Mercury News, 15 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for insults
Verb
-
The Intel case offends two basic economic truths.—
Veronique De Rugy,
Oc Register,
23 Oct. 2025
-
Tallulah asks, shocked, which offends Maia.—
Leia Mendoza,
Variety,
8 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Today’s designation is a critical step in holding accountable and changing the behavior of Nigerian officials who have facilitated and created an environment conducive to the outrages in Nigeria.—
Jordan King,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Nov. 2025
-
Women and children of the city are living in a state of terror, fearing that the fiend, if uncaught, will commit other outrages in this city.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
16 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Bully Ray envisioned a moment where a rival taunts the voiceless Knight.—
Andrew Ravens,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 Oct. 2025
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Garraty is forced to slap himself across the face to stay awake as Barkovitch taunts him.—
Nick Romano,
Entertainment Weekly,
8 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The Long Walk is unsparing in its depiction of violence, as well as the other indignities the boys face along the way.—
Louis Peitzman,
Vulture,
11 Sep. 2025
-
Today, the Court needlessly subjects countless more to these exact same indignities.—
Dan Gooding
Hannah Parry,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
What once killed campaigns now barely wounds them.—
Mandy Taheri,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 Nov. 2025
-
Even with all of them in place, Shirley misses the masked attacker sneaking his way up to the apartment door, and Lamb’s attempt to blind him with bleach creates a chaotic struggle that wounds the assailant without containing him.—
Scott Tobias,
Vulture,
1 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
According to research from Copyleaks, an AI analysis firm that helps businesses and institutions navigate the shifting landscape of this emergent technology, a new trend has produced Sora videos of celebrities appearing to spew hateful racist epithets.—
Miles Klee,
Rolling Stone,
23 Oct. 2025
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Then there was the woman who was Speaker of the House and would walk around talking to herself, screaming out epithets to imaginary people.—
Larry David,
New Yorker,
28 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Tensions flared between the parties as the otherwise mild-mannered Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) traded barbs with Democrats.—
Ramsey Touchberry,
The Washington Examiner,
7 Nov. 2025
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But shortly after, Minaj threw barbs as SZA’s career, criticizing her decision to re-release her 2022 album SOS as the deluxe version Lana last year.—
Rachel DeSantis,
PEOPLE,
6 Nov. 2025
Noun
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There have been anti-China rallies in downtown Seoul in recent months, where protesters chanted racist slurs and made unsubstantiated claims of Chinese inference in South Korean politics.—
Se Eun Gong,
NPR,
2 Nov. 2025
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According to Ring and his family, other students called the teen names and anti-trans slurs.—
Mikelle Street,
Them.,
31 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Insults.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/insults. Accessed 16 Nov. 2025.
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