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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of sardonic
Last season of Tell Me Lies, Hulu’s soapy, sardonic drama about a toxic on-and-off relationship between college students Lucy Albright (Grace Van Patten) and Stephen DeMarco (Jackson White), ended with a bang—literally.
—
Savannah Walsh, Vanity Fair, 13 Jan. 2026
However, a touch of sardonic levity has always been part of Panahi’s storytelling.
—Carlos Aguilar, Los Angeles Times, 6 Jan. 2026
And her unfailing ability to give the perfect little sardonic wink and nod extends beyond her social media content and even beyond her impeccable performances in projects like Netflix's Too Much.
—Meg Walters, InStyle, 4 Jan. 2026
There is a wry, sardonic Reinerian sensibility to be found in all of his best work, even in the cramped and frightening confines of Misery (1990).
—Richard Lawson, HollywoodReporter, 15 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sardonic
Savannah Walsh, Vanity Fair, 13 Jan. 2026
However, a touch of sardonic levity has always been part of Panahi’s storytelling.
—Carlos Aguilar, Los Angeles Times, 6 Jan. 2026
And her unfailing ability to give the perfect little sardonic wink and nod extends beyond her social media content and even beyond her impeccable performances in projects like Netflix's Too Much.
—Meg Walters, InStyle, 4 Jan. 2026
There is a wry, sardonic Reinerian sensibility to be found in all of his best work, even in the cramped and frightening confines of Misery (1990).
—Richard Lawson, HollywoodReporter, 15 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sardonic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sardonic
Adjective
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But pull her away from the TV cameras, photographers and the prying eyes of the world, and her sarcastic-bordering-on-vulgar sense of humor bubbles to the surface.—
Dave Skretta,
Chicago Tribune,
17 Feb. 2026
-
Liu asked with a sarcastic scoff and giggle.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Our approaches can be critical, satirical, comical, dramatic, poetic, but will always be complex and complicated.—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
21 Feb. 2026
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The book is a satirical story about a fictional reality TV show called Model Muse that was inspired by his experience on ANTM.—
Emma Banks,
InStyle,
21 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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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
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During the First World War, neither Axis nor Allied generals fully appreciated the devastating effects of machine guns and barbed wire.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
19 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Caramelizing mellows out the tart, acidic quality of the fruit and adds a rich, umami-like flavor to these meatballs.—
Carolynn Carreño,
Los Angeles Times,
15 Feb. 2026
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Some plants can tolerate a range of soil pH levels, from acidic to alkaline.—
David Beaulieu,
The Spruce,
15 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Sardonic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sardonic. Accessed 23 Feb. 2026.
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