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
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of target
ABC News, 5 Apr. 2026
The best form of defense is attack These would, in theory, overwhelm and degrade radar and air defenses, paving the way for a follow-up strike using missiles to hit key targets.
—Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 4 Apr. 2026
Ed Sayres, Denver Post, 29 Mar. 2026
Bondi accused of shielding Epstein associates The impeachment articles also target Bondi's handling of the Epstein files, which have earned her critics on both sides of the aisle in Congress.
—Aysha Bagchi, USA Today, 23 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for target
Noun
The Whitecaps had 61% possession and outshot Portland 21-9, 9-4 on target.
—ABC News, 5 Apr. 2026
The best form of defense is attack These would, in theory, overwhelm and degrade radar and air defenses, paving the way for a follow-up strike using missiles to hit key targets.
—Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 4 Apr. 2026
Verb
The goal of this legislation is to target puppy mills — irresponsible dog breeders who don’t provide for animal welfare.
—Ed Sayres, Denver Post, 29 Mar. 2026
Bondi accused of shielding Epstein associates The impeachment articles also target Bondi's handling of the Epstein files, which have earned her critics on both sides of the aisle in Congress.
—Aysha Bagchi, USA Today, 23 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for target
Recent Examples of Synonyms for target
Noun
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Some of the victims had been wearing backpacks equipped with airbags that can help keep people on the surface of an avalanche, but had not pulled the cords to deploy the bags, the report said.—
Ethan Baron,
Mercury News,
4 Apr. 2026
-
Responding officers discovered that the victim suffered from wounds to his head and body and also found a bloody hammer.—
DeJanay Booth-Singleton,
CBS News,
4 Apr. 2026
Noun
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No this is not a joke…Retro Weather Channel is officially back!—
Tony Maglio,
HollywoodReporter,
2 Apr. 2026
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The response to the outcry led to even more jokes online.—
Bennett Conlin,
Baltimore Sun,
2 Apr. 2026
Noun
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As currently written, the bill would also formally declare the state’s ultimate goal to be restoration of the animals, once so ubiquitous that they are enshrined in the state’s flag.—
Sharon Bernstein,
Sacbee.com,
7 Apr. 2026
-
Connor Bedard earned his 200th career point with an assist on Donato’s first-period goal.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
7 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Instead, the President taunted America’s allies, some of whom had been pleading for a settlement over Hormuz.—
Benjamin Wallace-Wells,
New Yorker,
3 Apr. 2026
-
The hawks are practically taunting the populists for their lack of influence.—
Jonathan Chait,
The Atlantic,
25 Mar. 2026
Noun
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This year, the unusually warm weather in March, plant abundance and a healthy amount of prey were early signals to rattlesnakes to begin their activity.—
Karen Garcia,
Los Angeles Times,
1 Apr. 2026
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Noise could disrupt the whales’ foraging behavior, while increased global warming — tied to the burning of fossil fuels, including oil and gas — could change where their prey fish live, Kiszka said.—
Tammy Webber,
Fortune,
31 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
And what kind of fool would write such an article?—
George Varga,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
5 Apr. 2026
-
Start with a pastel pink French tip, then treat each nail as a canvas for delicate swan art (or opt for stickers for a fool-proof DIY).—
Amanda Le,
InStyle,
4 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Energy derived from replenishable sources such as solar, wind, and hydroelectric aim to reduce externalities tied to fossil fuels.—
byLaura Payne,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
2 Apr. 2026
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The aim of the new institution will be to foster dialogues within the contemporary art community located in the larger Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.—
News Desk,
Artforum,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The following year, the club were made aware of footage of two male Bournemouth supporters intervening after witnessing a woman being harassed on public transport.—
Cerys Jones,
New York Times,
6 Apr. 2026
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In 2017, Matthew Herrick sued the dating app Grindr after his ex-boyfriend used fake profiles to harass Herrick and send hundreds of strangers to his home.—
Shannon Bond,
NPR,
3 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Target.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/target. Accessed 9 Apr. 2026.
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