as in sarcastic
marked by the use of wit that is intended to cause hurt feelings
a sardonic little jab that made her visitor quiet and subdued for the rest of the night
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Recent Examples of sardonic
In Moderation, Elaine Castillo’s sardonic new novel, Girlie Delmundo, the daughter of Filipino immigrants, works as a content moderator at a major tech company.
—
Sarah Rose Etter, The Atlantic, 6 Aug. 2025
Kirsh’s shock of white hair and dry, sardonic air give Olyphant refreshing distance from the upright lawmen he’s known for.
—Alison Herman, Variety, 5 Aug. 2025
Led by Gary Oldman’s flatulent and sardonic Jackson Lamb, the ‘slow horses’ of Slough House prove weirdly effective, often confounding MI5’s Second Desk Diana Taverner (Kristen Scott-Thomas) and, as of Season 4, its First Desk Claude Whelan (James Tallis).
—Antonia Blyth, Deadline, 29 July 2025
Healy is known for his sardonic comments on stage by his fans, so this came as no surprise to them.
—Lea Veloso, StyleCaster, 25 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for sardonic
Sarah Rose Etter, The Atlantic, 6 Aug. 2025
Kirsh’s shock of white hair and dry, sardonic air give Olyphant refreshing distance from the upright lawmen he’s known for.
—Alison Herman, Variety, 5 Aug. 2025
Led by Gary Oldman’s flatulent and sardonic Jackson Lamb, the ‘slow horses’ of Slough House prove weirdly effective, often confounding MI5’s Second Desk Diana Taverner (Kristen Scott-Thomas) and, as of Season 4, its First Desk Claude Whelan (James Tallis).
—Antonia Blyth, Deadline, 29 July 2025
Healy is known for his sardonic comments on stage by his fans, so this came as no surprise to them.
—Lea Veloso, StyleCaster, 25 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for sardonic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sardonic
Adjective
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His witty, sarcastic, and often controversial commentary is the soundtrack to a generation of wrestling fans.—
Andrew Ravens,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 Sep. 2025
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She’s matched wonderfully by Cooke, who leans into her actual Manchester accent to give Cherry a stroppy, sarcastic bent and whose body looks absolutely banging wrapped in an array of oxblood, maroon, and cerise minidresses.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
10 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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White Noise Noah Baumbach's 2022 satirical drama stars Adam Driver and Greta Gerwig — who married Baumbach in 2023 after dating for 12 years — play a married couple in the 1980s.—
Jacqueline Weiss,
PEOPLE,
7 Sep. 2025
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While the homage is heartfelt, and certainly packs its share of genuine laughs, the end result can’t escape feeling like a hodgepodge, incapable of cohesively blending the satirical elements with the earnest messaging foremost on its mind.—
Michael Rechtshaffen,
HollywoodReporter,
7 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Only those working at the listening station (kept separate from the rest of the compound with barbed wire and a guard shack) knew what was really going on.—
A.K. Whitney,
Oc Register,
9 Sep. 2025
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Thailand says the barbed wire was set up to prevent the planting of mines and is on its own land.—
Matthew Tostevin,
MSNBC Newsweek,
27 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Sardonic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sardonic. Accessed 16 Sep. 2025.
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