1
as in victim
a person or thing that is the object of abuse, criticism, or ridicule
the hapless vice president quickly became the favorite target of late-night comedians
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in joke
a person or thing that is made fun of
a badly made TV commercial that became the target of lots of jokes
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in goal
something that one hopes or intends to accomplish
our target is to raise $100,000 for a new playground by August
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to taunt
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 target
Sophie Monks Kaufman, IndieWire, 16 May 2025
Perhaps also a risk, though, given the music icon has become a target for President Donald Trump and some NFL fans got tired of seeing the singer so often on game broadcasts.
—Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 16 May 2025
Ahmed Walid, New York Times, 18 May 2025
With veteran lives on the line every day, the time to act is now — and especially when the VA is targeted for massive personnel and budget cuts.
—Daniel Bean, The Orlando Sentinel, 18 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for target
Noun
Or will be openly friends with Eli and risk making himself as much of a target?
—Sophie Monks Kaufman, IndieWire, 16 May 2025
Perhaps also a risk, though, given the music icon has become a target for President Donald Trump and some NFL fans got tired of seeing the singer so often on game broadcasts.
—Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 16 May 2025
Verb
However, low-quality chances from corners don’t necessarily equate to success for the defensive team because the attacking side may be targeting a weakness in defending that zone.
—Ahmed Walid, New York Times, 18 May 2025
With veteran lives on the line every day, the time to act is now — and especially when the VA is targeted for massive personnel and budget cuts.
—Daniel Bean, The Orlando Sentinel, 18 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for target
Recent Examples of Synonyms for target
Noun
-
The victim, who suffered a laceration to the head, was transported by EMS to Lincoln Hospital, where he was listed in stable condition.—
Nicholas Williams,
New York Daily News,
28 May 2025
-
The victims included at least 10 women, the Livingston Daily reported, including one victim recorded at least 540 times.—
Mike Stunson,
Kansas City Star,
27 May 2025
Noun
-
The vibes are confusing, the itinerary is unclear, and Drew—ever the queen of chaos—jokes that naked bears might be involved.—
Shelby Stewart,
Essence,
25 May 2025
-
Here’s why and what happened CT proposal noted halfway across globe and becomes butt of jokes.—
Keith M. Phaneuf,
Hartford Courant,
25 May 2025
Noun
-
Those goals were just the fourth and fifth in 14 games this spring.—
Daniel Nugent-Bowman,
New York Times,
26 May 2025
-
The goal is to haul Ford vehicles from the Kentucky Truck Plant to dealerships anywhere in the nation.—
Jamie L. LaReau,
USA Today,
26 May 2025
Verb
-
Soon, a malevolent fetch -- his ghostly double -- emerges, taunting him with hallucinations of his dead son and dragging him toward the brink of madness.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
22 May 2025
-
Noted, But Not Personal After the Pacers eliminated the Knicks last season, Myles Turner went viral for parading through New York City and taunting Knicks fans.—
Kristian Winfield,
New York Daily News,
19 May 2025
Noun
-
One familiar example is ash trees, which are prey to the emerald ash borer.—
Beth Botts,
Chicago Tribune,
18 May 2025
-
This behavior is inherited from their ancestors, who evolved to hunt prey at dusk and dawn.—
Maria Azzurra Volpe,
MSNBC Newsweek,
16 May 2025
Noun
-
In an ideal world, there isn't a huge run on centers like there was in this mock.—
Corey Pronman,
New York Times,
20 May 2025
-
Alabama had the second most players in the mock with four, while the Miami Hurricanes and Ohio State Buckeyes each had three.—
Matt Galatzan,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 May 2025
Noun
-
Launched in 2024 with the aim of addressing the needs of the 50-and-older club, Myne Beauty debuted direct-to-consumer with two skin care products — a $49 hydrating serum and a $48 night cream formulated with retinol, vitamin C and peptides.—
Noor Lobad,
Footwear News,
22 May 2025
-
Israel's launch of another offensive in Gaza in recent days with the aim of returning the hostages comes amid international condemnation of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu government's 11-week blockade of the area.—
Brendan Cole,
MSNBC Newsweek,
21 May 2025
Verb
-
The dismissal came on the heels of a filing in the case by lawyers for L.A. County that alleged Villanueva was harassing Sheriff Robert Luna and members of the Board of Supervisors by trying to call them as witnesses at a potential civil trial.—
Connor Sheets,
Los Angeles Times,
16 May 2025
-
The agency also secured a $300,000 settlement for a mother, daughter and the daughter’s boyfriend in Oklahoma who were allegedly harassed and assaulted by neighbors because the boyfriend was Black, to which the landlord responded by trying to evict the mother.—
Jesse Coburn,
ProPublica,
15 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Target.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/target. Accessed 31 May. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share