insults 1 of 2

plural of insult

insults

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of insult

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 insults
Noun
Musk and Altman have repeatedly traded blows in recent years, mocking each other’s businesses and lobbing personal insults. Antonio Pequeño Iv, Forbes.com, 11 July 2026 The insults often accompany reports and even videos of kids and teens engaging in reckless riding — weaving through traffic, running stop signs, ignoring pedestrians, and performing stunts like wheelies in opposing lanes, sometimes without helmets. Théoden Janes, Charlotte Observer, 7 July 2026 Hurling insults and a general dismissiveness is in, or at least tolerated. Steve Buckley, New York Times, 2 July 2026 But back in February when the court ruled against him on tariffs, the president held an angry White House press conference, calling the conservative justices who sided against him disloyal among other insults. Tamara Keith, NPR, 1 July 2026 According to Spell and members of his congregation, the man had a history of verbally harassing them with threats, insults and racial slurs. Drew Pittock, USA Today, 25 June 2026 Just being in the room and coming up with these really mean-spirited insults and the kind of backstabbing that those performers played so brilliantly and just elevated with every choice. Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 19 June 2026 The adversaries made for a striking scene, exchanging insults in mutually unintelligible languages in the dead of night. Literary Hub, 16 June 2026 The former first lady and her husband, former president Barack Obama, have frequently been the targets of racist insults. Amy B Wang, Washington Post, 15 June 2026
Verb
That's what happens when your star insults moviegoers or goes off on tangents about the characters's sexuality. Ian Miller Outkick, FOXNews.com, 5 July 2026 Ohm quickly insults nearly every employee at this small hotel within moments of meeting them, except for the young, pretty bartender, Fiona (Florence Ordesh). ABC News, 29 Apr. 2026 Saariaho never once loses control of momentum and never insults her own tastefulness. Justin Davidson, Vulture, 7 Apr. 2026 As the President insults allies, woos dictators, and spurns long-standing commitments, Rubio has to convince his counterparts that America will not entirely abandon its friends. Dexter Filkins, New Yorker, 12 Jan. 2026 The paddling comes as revenge for multiple times Marty insults the businessman throughout the movie. Tommy McArdle, PEOPLE, 26 Dec. 2025 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for insults
Noun
  • First seen at a night-club table of menacing lowlifes, Ida, whose mother tongue is Brooklynese, suddenly switches to a heavy British accent and dispenses a torrent of highly literary sarcasms.
    Richard Brody, New Yorker, 4 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • But something about this circus just offends me on a spiritual level.
    Amber Harding OutKick, FOXNews.com, 30 June 2026
  • And if that notion offends you, stay home and watch on television, and turn your man caves into casinos.
    Mike Lupica, New York Daily News, 27 June 2026
Noun
  • Look, of the outrages, these are like the least among them, as far as being upset with the administration, with the president.
    ABC News, ABC News, 14 June 2026
  • More recently, Tandy Hills experienced issues with ATVs being driven through the park and damaging wildflowers, sparking outrages on social media from people who demanded the city take action.
    Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 25 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • Cox will play the Ripper — real name Dom Frant — who no longer kills but still taunts survivors of his past crimes.
    Rick Porter, HollywoodReporter, 15 July 2026
  • In the final episode of the season, Max taunts Pip on her way to Stanley’s funeral as his companion, a young blonde, laughs and drinks wine.
    Nicole Briese, PEOPLE, 28 May 2026
Noun
  • But the Riverlanders and Starks have had enough of these indignities.
    Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 20 July 2026
  • Former Survivor contestant John Cochran went through his share of indignities on the CBS show.
    Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 2 July 2026
Verb
  • Chops, gouges, wounds it like the shadow grooves on the sidewalks—the sun is setting earlier.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 16 Mar. 2026
  • Imperfect fleshly reality occupies the stage, the region where bones crack and wounds suppurate, schlumpy humans fall for each other, and jealousy roams murderously free.
    Justin Davidson, Vulture, 11 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • Social media has teemed with unsavory videos of Argentinean misbehavior in the stadiums, including fans hurling racial epithets at a Black American influencer and showering Egyptians with beer.
    Ishaan Tharoor, New Yorker, 16 July 2026
  • Mendelsohn also retains Homer’s repetitious epithets for characters that some modern translations—written for the silent reader of the 21st century—have slimmed down.
    Chris Moody, The Atlantic, 16 July 2026
Noun
  • In a year where everything Skubal does has been fair game for discussion and discord, the barbs surrounding the WBC still have not faded.
    Cody Stavenhagen, New York Times, 22 July 2026
  • During a 30-minute candidate forum on May 14 on Arizona PBS, Kolodin and Swoboda traded barbs about each other’s background and their work on ensuring election integrity.
    Josh Meyer, USA Today, 21 July 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Insults.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/insults. Accessed 26 Jul. 2026.

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