as in acerbic
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Recent Examples of sharp-tongued
With his sharp-tongued, Vespa-riding producer Sadaf by his side, Bahram embarks on an underground mission to showcase his film to an Iranian audience, dodging government censors, absurd bureaucracy, and his own self-doubts.
—
Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 25 July 2025
The film follows Kat Stratford, a fiercely independent and sharp-tongued teenager played by Julia Stiles who has no interest in dating.
—Jane Lacroix, People.com, 2 Nov. 2024
Based on a copy of the script obtained by The Hollywood Reporter, those scenes depict three moments in which Rowling — portrayed as strong-willed and sharp-tongued but far from a villain — faces off with key male figures from her life: her first book editor, her abusive ex-husband and her father.
—Seth Abramovitch, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 July 2024
And its theater-kid earnestness and sharp-tongued lyrics are reminiscent of another pop upstart who works with Nigro: Olivia Rodrigo.
—Shaad D’souza, New York Times, 22 May 2024
In Israel, the meticulous and sharp-tongued Mr. Zamir became a target of the nation’s questions and grief after Munich as one of the first Mossad chiefs to face intense public inquiry.
—Brian Murphy, Washington Post, 20 Jan. 2024
The critics of Measure 110 were polite but sharp-tongued.
—E. Tammy Kim, The New Yorker, 15 Jan. 2024
The first few internship scenes offered a glorious glimpse of the old, sharp-tongued, Type A Miranda, whose pioneering heteropessimism once balanced out the giddy romantic misadventures of her three best girlfriends.
—Time, 3 Aug. 2023
Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 25 July 2025
The film follows Kat Stratford, a fiercely independent and sharp-tongued teenager played by Julia Stiles who has no interest in dating.
—Jane Lacroix, People.com, 2 Nov. 2024
Based on a copy of the script obtained by The Hollywood Reporter, those scenes depict three moments in which Rowling — portrayed as strong-willed and sharp-tongued but far from a villain — faces off with key male figures from her life: her first book editor, her abusive ex-husband and her father.
—Seth Abramovitch, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 July 2024
And its theater-kid earnestness and sharp-tongued lyrics are reminiscent of another pop upstart who works with Nigro: Olivia Rodrigo.
—Shaad D’souza, New York Times, 22 May 2024
In Israel, the meticulous and sharp-tongued Mr. Zamir became a target of the nation’s questions and grief after Munich as one of the first Mossad chiefs to face intense public inquiry.
—Brian Murphy, Washington Post, 20 Jan. 2024
The critics of Measure 110 were polite but sharp-tongued.
—E. Tammy Kim, The New Yorker, 15 Jan. 2024
The first few internship scenes offered a glorious glimpse of the old, sharp-tongued, Type A Miranda, whose pioneering heteropessimism once balanced out the giddy romantic misadventures of her three best girlfriends.
—Time, 3 Aug. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sharp-tongued
Adjective
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Where the strain required for a tenor to hit that upper register lends these verses an acerbic, explosive edge, a countertenor can approach the same lines with lamblike lyricism, as Mobley did.—
Hannah Edgar,
Chicago Tribune,
16 Aug. 2025
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That movie was an acerbic portrait of a friendship gone sour, laced with barbed insults.—
Fran Hoepfner,
Vulture,
6 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Lazarus is comfortable knowing that his sardonic smack-talking can only give Belichick, and the team, more motivational fodder for next season.—
Sean Gregory,
Time,
3 Sep. 2025
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And an almost incidental scene, in which the NSA’s North Korea expert (Greta Lee) watches a Battle of Gettysburg reenactment with her son on a day off, seems a sardonic acknowledgment that war for America is a blustery display with little long-range vision.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
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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Ross gets away with such a surfeit of sentiment precisely because of his naturally caustic inclinations; the jokes are sharp enough and the laughs are hard and plentiful enough that all of the schmaltz feels not just charming but well-earned.—
Chris Jones,
New York Daily News,
19 Aug. 2025
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Both directors rely on a kind of caustic humor to uncover the class struggle that has always complicated the colonial one.—
Lovia Gyarkye,
IndieWire,
19 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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During his two-year spell in North London, Postecoglou also reveals the decidedly spikier side to his character.—
Zak Garner-Purkis,
Forbes.com,
24 June 2025
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Jasmine petals, one of my favorite floral notes, is given a spikier edge alongside Australian pink pepper, while raspberry and spun sugar add a pleasing sweetness without being too much.—
Venus Wong,
refinery29.com,
30 Oct. 2024
Adjective
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The sour note was Inigo Martinez’s exit to Saudi Pro League side Al Nassr.—
James McNicholas,
New York Times,
8 Sep. 2025
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Teng ended his afternoon having allowed four runs over four-plus innings with eight strikeouts and five walks, a sour end to a great beginning.—
Justice delos Santos,
Mercury News,
7 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
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
Cite this Entry
“Sharp-tongued.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sharp-tongued. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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