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
Mathew Rodriguez, Them., 5 Nov. 2025
Sarah Gorden and Angelina Anderson both offered a scathing rebuke of Eddy.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 3 Nov. 2025
Holly Ellyatt, CNBC, 13 Oct. 2025
The appeals court decision was, at times, scathing toward the state's arguments in the case.
—Hayleigh Colombo, IndyStar, 13 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for scathing
Adjective
The show, which debuted on Tuesday on Hulu, landed with a thud and garnered a jaw-dropping zero percent on Rotten Tomatoes from its initial spate of reviews, which included scathing takedowns from the Guardian, the Hollywood Reporter and the UK’s The Times.
—Mathew Rodriguez, Them., 5 Nov. 2025
Sarah Gorden and Angelina Anderson both offered a scathing rebuke of Eddy.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 3 Nov. 2025
Verb
Russian reaction Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said last week that Moscow’s leadership was waiting to see the specifics of any deal to supply Tomahawks, but was scathing about the prospect.
—Holly Ellyatt, CNBC, 13 Oct. 2025
The appeals court decision was, at times, scathing toward the state's arguments in the case.
—Hayleigh Colombo, IndyStar, 13 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for scathing
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scathing
Adjective
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Since that inaugural episode in late July, a steady stream of blistering satirical installments has not let up on the POTUS and key White House officials, from VP JD Vance to DHS Secretary Kristi Noem.—
Natalie Oganesyan,
Deadline,
10 Nov. 2025
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Where Tom is the satirical end point of corporate America’s moral rot, Guiteau is like his spiritual predecessor, a 19th-century American striver so intoxicated by the promise of self-making that rejection feels like cosmic betrayal.—
Nicholas Quah,
Vulture,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Under the guidance of Julian Nagelsmann, Germany has rediscovered its attacking rhythm and pressing intensity, signaling a potential return to the elite.—
Ben Verbrugge,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Nov. 2025
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Immigration and Customs Enforcement has angered many Americans by wearing masks while on duty, attacking peaceful protesters and arresting mostly people with no criminal record.—
Tom Roland,
Billboard,
5 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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The Marriage Story star first appeared as a child in an uncredited role in the Scorsese film — Ladd's first taste of major acclaim as the sarcastic waitress Flo.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
3 Nov. 2025
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The kicking game was so bad that Freeman sounded like Brian Kelly at his sarcastic best when asked about Noah Burnette, Erik Schmidt and Marcello Diomede combining to miss two extra points and one field goal.—
Pete Sampson,
New York Times,
2 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Instead of slamming it home, Antetokounmpo soared over the defenders to make an improbable catch, landed and flicked an on-target pass to Rollins for a corner 3 before falling out of bounds to give Milwaukee a 14-point lead.—
Eric Nehm,
New York Times,
8 Nov. 2025
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His brief mention of the shutdown focused on slamming Democrats.—
Claire Heddles,
Miami Herald,
5 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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Chinese reports stated that the attack-type wolf robots cleared barbed wire and trenches in three to five minutes, while the transport variants followed closely behind.—
Kapil Kajal,
Interesting Engineering,
5 Nov. 2025
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In the yard, decorations include nooses, hanging bodies, guards in towers and barbed wire fences.—
Colson Thayer,
PEOPLE,
27 Oct. 2025
Verb
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This way of peering at screen culture from an inexact distance, which also comes up in a scolding scene where Ethan scrolls aimlessly through something like TikTok, rankles in a play that is otherwise so precise about physical time and space.—
Jackson McHenry,
Vulture,
31 Oct. 2025
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Like an impatient parent scolding their toddler, Frankenstein grows frustrated with his monster’s limited capacity for speech.—
Leah Dolan,
CNN Money,
17 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Highly acidic foods like pickles and tomatoes will react with the can after an extended period of time, causing both taste and texture changes so pay particularly close attention to expiration dates on these items.—
Patricia Shannon,
Southern Living,
11 Nov. 2025
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Soil and Water Japanese maple likes a slightly acidic, humus-rich soil with good drainage.—
Luke Miller,
Better Homes & Gardens,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
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The Lynx lost that game, and then, with Collier in a boot on the bench and her coach suspended for excoriating the referees in her defense, came up short in the decisive Game Four, too.—
Louisa Thomas,
New Yorker,
5 Oct. 2025
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There’s no question Newsom — who had spent months excoriating refiners for gouging consumers on gasoline prices, even calling a special legislative session to impose new regulations — changed his tune after two refineries announced plans to shut down.—
Dan Walters,
Mercury News,
30 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Scathing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scathing. Accessed 1 Dec. 2025.
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