as in satirical
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
Stephanie Giang-Paunon, FOXNews.com, 29 Aug. 2025
The promo, which took place in Birmingham, England, included a reference to the recent passing of rock legend and WWE Hall of Famer Ozzy Osbourne, which drew a scathing public response from his daughter, Kelly Osbourne.
—Andrew Ravens, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Aug. 2025
Hayleigh Colombo, IndyStar, 13 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for scathing
Adjective
Following the finalization of their divorce earlier this week, Hall took to Instagram with a scathing message aimed at the HGTV star.
—Stephanie Giang-Paunon, FOXNews.com, 29 Aug. 2025
The promo, which took place in Birmingham, England, included a reference to the recent passing of rock legend and WWE Hall of Famer Ozzy Osbourne, which drew a scathing public response from his daughter, Kelly Osbourne.
—Andrew Ravens, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Aug. 2025
Verb
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
Verb
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At least four young men are seen attacking the boy at various points.—
Drake Bentley,
jsonline.com,
3 Sep. 2025
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When combined with immune checkpoint inhibitors – the breakthrough immunotherapy that prevents the immune system from attacking healthy cells – the T cells' tumor-fighting capacity was further enhanced.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
3 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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His upcoming credits included Ruben Östlund's satirical black comedy The Entertainment System is Down, also set to star Keanu Reeves, Kirsten Dunst, and Woody Harrelson.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
2 Sep. 2025
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The movie is an adaptation of Donald Westlake’s 1997 satirical thriller The Ax, which was also adapted by the great Costa Gavras in 2005.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
31 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Video evidence showed a trooper punching the man and slamming him to the ground during a 2021 incident.—
Tresa Baldas,
Freep.com,
5 Sep. 2025
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In the disturbing footage, Raja was seen entering the ring and picking up Smith above his head before slamming him hard on the mat.—
Natasha Dye,
People.com,
2 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Even an otherwise neutral comment can be contorted into a sarcastic retort, an insult or a counterattack.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
7 Sep. 2025
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On the par-4 14th, Scheffler splashed out of a greenside bunker to 10 feet, missed the par putt, and then, without hesitation, threw a sarcastic fist pump toward the hole.—
Devlina Sarkar,
MSNBC Newsweek,
23 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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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
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No one else writes with such wounding, barbed wit.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
27 Aug. 2025
Verb
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The level of anger was quickly evident in state media broadcasts - which analysts say are often a measure of official Saudi viewpoints - with television news reports personally excoriating Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.—
Pesha Magid,
Reuters,
14 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Scathing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scathing. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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