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
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 Carter was sitting in her chair, listening to a lesson, when Octavius Johnson, a classmate who had a crush on her, started to fire off insults. Jeff Pearlman, Rolling Stone, 17 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 Politico counted 251 instances of derogatory insults in the group chat, interspersed with logistical conversations about social media strategies and collecting votes. Matthew Kelly, Kansas City Star, 15 Oct. 2025 Walking away from a fight or turning the other cheek at someone hurling insults your way would be an insult to our own ego and pride. Ed Lavandera, CNN Money, 11 Oct. 2025 The candidates, in between insults, did address the issues. Scott Wartman, Cincinnati Enquirer, 10 Oct. 2025 As his father read drafts of the Declaration of Independence, William was carted off, to jeers and insults. Stacy Schiff, The Atlantic, 8 Oct. 2025
Verb
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
  • Tallulah asks, shocked, which offends Maia.
    Leia Mendoza, Variety, 8 Oct. 2025
  • Think of the chatbots that enrage customers, copy that erases brand voice, email that offends prospects, or sales outreach that overwhelms without engaging.
    Andrea Hill, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • Content that outrages, polarizes or triggers anxiety keeps us watching.
    Avital Pardo, Forbes.com, 3 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
  • Garraty is forced to slap himself across the face to stay awake as Barkovitch taunts him.
    Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 8 Sep. 2025
  • In the present day, Ellen watches as MacKinny taunts Colum in front of a crowd of onlookers and rushes to stand by his side.
    Lincee Ray Published, EW.com, 15 Aug. 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
  • 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
Verb
  • 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
  • Set against Mumbai’s relentless pulse, their delicate connection faces tests as personal histories, desires, and wounds resurface.
    Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 2 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Voting Even without Musk's barbs, engaging shareholders and voting around the best corporate governance practices have long been a hot topic.
    Alex Harring, CNBC, 24 Oct. 2025
  • To eat the nopales, remove the spines (spikes, thorns, or barbs) and use them raw in salads or cooked in soups or tacos.
    Barbie Cervoni, Verywell Health, 22 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • After her 2023 arrest, Lorincz admitted to hurling racial slurs at the children, according to the arrest affidavit.
    Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 21 Oct. 2025
  • The texts, verified by Politico through multiple participants, also show Ingrassia using slurs and disparaging remarks toward Black and Asian people, as well as expressing admiration for controversial far-right figures.
    Adeola Adeosun, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 Oct. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Insults.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/insults. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on insults

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!