as in satiric
marked by the use of wit that is intended to cause hurt feelings
a mordant review of the movie that compared it to having one's teeth pulled for two hours
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Recent Examples of mordant
His conversation is astringent; his mordant wit softens into easy laughter.
—
Lizz Schumer, PEOPLE, 21 Oct. 2025
That may have been Winter’s intention — there’s also more than a whiff of the Coen brothers figuring into all the mordant mayhem — but the execution proves trickier to pull off for a sustained period.
—Michael Rechtshaffen, HollywoodReporter, 12 Sep. 2025
Mikkelsen, in one of the most tender performances of his career, and Sloan, whose expressive eyes stay impossibly wide for the duration of the film, craft an easy chemistry together, his mordant humor matching hers like a glove.
—Marya E. Gates, IndieWire, 9 Sep. 2025
Phoebe Greenwood’s novel, Vulture, conjures up this world with mordant humor and breathtaking immediacy.
—Book Marks
august 28, Literary Hub, 28 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mordant
Lizz Schumer, PEOPLE, 21 Oct. 2025
That may have been Winter’s intention — there’s also more than a whiff of the Coen brothers figuring into all the mordant mayhem — but the execution proves trickier to pull off for a sustained period.
—Michael Rechtshaffen, HollywoodReporter, 12 Sep. 2025
Mikkelsen, in one of the most tender performances of his career, and Sloan, whose expressive eyes stay impossibly wide for the duration of the film, craft an easy chemistry together, his mordant humor matching hers like a glove.
—Marya E. Gates, IndieWire, 9 Sep. 2025
Phoebe Greenwood’s novel, Vulture, conjures up this world with mordant humor and breathtaking immediacy.
—Book Marks
august 28, Literary Hub, 28 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mordant
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mordant
Adjective
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In 1784, Franklin suggested shifting schedules to rise earlier in a satirical letter to the Journal of Paris.—
Hannah Poukish,
Sacbee.com,
7 Mar. 2026
-
The innocent taste test went largely unnoticed for weeks until creators began stitching their reactions and flooding social feeds with a storm of memes and satirical posts.—
Rachel Ventresca,
Fortune,
6 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Gavalas was a normal guy, Edelson said – a golfer, a funny person with a sarcastic wit, a video gamer.—
Brittany Wallman
Updated March 4,
Miami Herald,
4 Mar. 2026
-
Mother of two children with her sarcastic, smart and handsome husband.—
Gerald Witt,
AJC.com,
1 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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An arrest has been made in an acid attack on a Long Island college student that happened nearly five years ago.—
Alexa Herrera,
CBS News,
10 Feb. 2026
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As wine lovers’ taste in Chardonnay has moved from ripe and buttery to lean and racy, higher-acid, more-flavorful versions have come into vogue.—
Mike DeSimone,
Robb Report,
8 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Miner explained that clear protein powders have a more watery consistency and a slightly bitter, acidic taste without additives.—
Mira Miller,
Verywell Health,
4 Mar. 2026
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But a few hundred feet away is Echinus Geyser, the largest acidic geyser in the world.—
Madison Dapcevich,
Outside,
4 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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My grandmother started working at the age of 12 years old in a linen factory in Belfast, traveling through barbed wire and barricades every day, not to school but to a job to support her family.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
20 Feb. 2026
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My parents were just children when they were wrested from their homes into tarpaper barracks surrounded by barbed wire.—
Julie Morita,
Chicago Tribune,
19 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Soda crystals are caustic and require safety precautions when used.—
Jolie Kerr,
Better Homes & Gardens,
3 Mar. 2026
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But over time, the other workers tire of their caustic dynamic and begin to probe Lady for the root of her anger.—
Jourdain Searles,
HollywoodReporter,
2 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Mordant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mordant. Accessed 10 Mar. 2026.
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