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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of mordant
Phoebe Greenwood’s novel, Vulture, conjures up this world with mordant humor and breathtaking immediacy.
—
Book Marks
august 28, Literary Hub, 28 Aug. 2025
While still maintaining his academic career, Lehrer was popular enough to tour occasionally as a solo performer before overseas audiences, punctuating his mordant material with a lupine grin.
—Chris Morris, Variety, 27 July 2025
A bit of mordant familial humor held that the Great Depression had hit the year before, and the family had been demoted, but the new categorization was more likely the product of the family’s changing structure.
—Jelani Cobb, New Yorker, 14 June 2025
The brilliantly mordant Irish comedian Dylan Moran summed it up memorably.
—Greg Orme, Forbes.com, 2 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mordant
Book Marks
august 28, Literary Hub, 28 Aug. 2025
While still maintaining his academic career, Lehrer was popular enough to tour occasionally as a solo performer before overseas audiences, punctuating his mordant material with a lupine grin.
—Chris Morris, Variety, 27 July 2025
A bit of mordant familial humor held that the Great Depression had hit the year before, and the family had been demoted, but the new categorization was more likely the product of the family’s changing structure.
—Jelani Cobb, New Yorker, 14 June 2025
The brilliantly mordant Irish comedian Dylan Moran summed it up memorably.
—Greg Orme, Forbes.com, 2 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mordant
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mordant
Adjective
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But it’s set apart from the rest of her work by a long, satirical section sending up gothic fiction and its fans.—
Erin Somers,
The Atlantic,
6 Jan. 2026
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But the tone is often more satiric than somber, Park highlighting Man-su’s foibles and insecurities.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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The Marriage Story star first appeared as a child in an uncredited role in the Scorsese film — Ladd's first taste of major acclaim as the sarcastic waitress Flo.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
3 Nov. 2025
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The kicking game was so bad that Freeman sounded like Brian Kelly at his sarcastic best when asked about Noah Burnette, Erik Schmidt and Marcello Diomede combining to miss two extra points and one field goal.—
Pete Sampson,
New York Times,
2 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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The idea of dissolving the self in an acid bath of erotic imagery was not, in the end, so unappealing.—
Daniel Kolitz,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Oct. 2025
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Avoid an acid overload of tart and tangy (pickles and citrus), a bold flavor competition, sweet and funky flavors colliding (fruity jams and aged cheeses), and a clash of spicy meats and cheeses with delicate fruits and accompaniments.—
Catharine Kaufman,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
13 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Possible Worsening of Acid Reflux Symptoms Many juices, such as orange, lemon, and pineapple, are highly acidic and can worsen symptoms in people with acid reflux.—
Jillian Kubala,
Health,
7 Jan. 2026
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While both are safe and effective for preserving, citric acid can contribute a sharper, more acidic note, while salt tends to round out tomato flavor.—
Anne Wolf,
Martha Stewart,
7 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Chinese reports stated that the attack-type wolf robots cleared barbed wire and trenches in three to five minutes, while the transport variants followed closely behind.—
Kapil Kajal,
Interesting Engineering,
5 Nov. 2025
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In the yard, decorations include nooses, hanging bodies, guards in towers and barbed wire fences.—
Colson Thayer,
PEOPLE,
27 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Some feel that the movie’s slide into sentiment in its final scenes, with a young German barmaid singing a folk song to an inn full of battle-scarred soldiers, doesn’t quite match the caustic nature of the rest of the story.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
31 Dec. 2025
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The technology replaces harsh, high-temperature caustic bleaching with a gentler low-temperature system that preserves the cotton fiber’s natural wax layer.—
Angela Velasquez,
Sourcing Journal,
8 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Mordant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mordant. Accessed 10 Jan. 2026.
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