as in satiric
marked by the use of wit that is intended to cause hurt feelings
a scathing rebuttal of the latest theory concerning the assassination
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in attacking
to criticize harshly and usually publicly
newspaper cartoonists scathed the lecherous governor with a series of cruel caricatures
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of scathing
Heather Hollingsworth, Los Angeles Times, 22 Feb. 2026
Both men had illustrious careers with plenty of ups and downs before this scathing screed, yet the movie is the cornerstone of their respective legacies.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 21 Feb. 2026
Isabelle Friedman, Boston Herald, 31 Dec. 2025
Much has been written about the changes, often in scathing online reviews.
—Bud Kennedy, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for scathing
Adjective
And in the Phoenix suburb of Surprise, officials sent a scathing letter to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem after ICE without warning bought a massive warehouse in a residential area about a mile from a high school.
—Heather Hollingsworth, Los Angeles Times, 22 Feb. 2026
Both men had illustrious careers with plenty of ups and downs before this scathing screed, yet the movie is the cornerstone of their respective legacies.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 21 Feb. 2026
Verb
From in-depth local news pieces that got to the heart of our communities’ needs to scathing investigative works holding public officials accountable, the Boston Herald’s coverage sought to encapsulate the most important stories for our readership each and every day.
—Isabelle Friedman, Boston Herald, 31 Dec. 2025
Much has been written about the changes, often in scathing online reviews.
—Bud Kennedy, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for scathing
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scathing
Adjective
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In 1784, Franklin suggested shifting schedules to rise earlier in a satirical letter to the Journal of Paris.—
Hannah Poukish,
Sacbee.com,
7 Mar. 2026
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The innocent taste test went largely unnoticed for weeks until creators began stitching their reactions and flooding social feeds with a storm of memes and satirical posts.—
Rachel Ventresca,
Fortune,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The remark, which spread quickly across news and social media, implied that Israel pushed the US into attacking.—
Tal Shalev,
CNN Money,
6 Mar. 2026
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On Thursday, Azerbaijan accused Iran of attacking it with drones — though Tehran denied that.—
Jon Gambrell,
Twin Cities,
5 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Gavalas was a normal guy, Edelson said – a golfer, a funny person with a sarcastic wit, a video gamer.—
Brittany Wallman
Updated March 4,
Miami Herald,
4 Mar. 2026
-
Mother of two children with her sarcastic, smart and handsome husband.—
Gerald Witt,
AJC.com,
1 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Now, further observations of the aftermath of the mission – which entailed intentionally slamming a vehicle into a space rock – is revealing something unexpected in the binary system of asteroids.—
Eric Lagatta,
USA Today,
10 Mar. 2026
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All forms of assault, including slamming someone against a wall, stabbing and punching, are not OK.—
Jenn Harris,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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My grandmother started working at the age of 12 years old in a linen factory in Belfast, traveling through barbed wire and barricades every day, not to school but to a job to support her family.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
20 Feb. 2026
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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
Verb
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But Saxon said Ye kept him constantly on edge, demanding photo updates of construction work, scolding him for wearing blue instead of the all-black worker uniform Ye preferred, and suddenly adding 24/7 security duties to his workload.—
Nancy Dillon,
Rolling Stone,
25 Feb. 2026
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Porter was initially viewed as having a potential edge in the race, but her prospects dimmed after videos emerged in October of the UC Irvine law professor scolding a reporter and swearing at an aide.—
Seema Mehta,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Soil with a pH below 6 is considered acidic; anything above 7 is alkaline; 7 is neutral.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
Southern Living,
11 Mar. 2026
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Some plants perform better in an acidic soil, others in an alkaline soil.—
David Beaulieu,
The Spruce,
10 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The president often has chosen a combative approach, even excoriating Democrats during the bipartisan prayer breakfast this year, Upton noted.—
Zac Anderson,
USA Today,
21 Feb. 2026
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National Institutes of Health Director Jay Bhattacharya raised these points when excoriating siblings studies on social media in September.—
O. Rose Broderick,
STAT,
16 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Scathing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scathing. Accessed 12 Mar. 2026.
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