1
as in insults
an act or expression showing scorn and usually intended to hurt another's feelings
a rowdy group of patrons was kicked out of the theater for shouting slurs
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in stains
a mark of guilt or disgrace
your drunken behavior at the wedding has cast a slur on this family
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of slurs
Raisa Habersham, Miami Herald, 16 Apr. 2026
The businessman and father was living in kind of a hell associated with a Third World dungeon -- complete with racial slurs.
—Troy Roberts, CBS News, 8 Apr. 2026
That same year, West praised Adolf Hitler in a rant full of slurs on X, leading to his talent agent Daniel McCartney dropping him.
—Rachel McRady, PEOPLE, 7 Apr. 2026
An angry mob of white adults hurled slurs and spat on the high schoolers.
—Daniel Felsenthal, Pitchfork, 4 Apr. 2026
Neighbor Phyllis Wills' daughter Nevaeh, who is now 16 years old, alleged that Lorincz used slurs in her interactions with children in the neighborhood.
—ABC News, 3 Apr. 2026
As police attempted to arrest a minor for careless driving, a large crowd surrounded officers, yelling profanities and racial slurs, the post says.
—Joseph Hernandez
march 30, Kansas City Star, 30 Mar. 2026
White kids were given textbooks, while the Latino kids were given sheets of paper, and there were a lot of racial slurs being used in the school.
—Kate Bradshaw, Mercury News, 27 Mar. 2026
And in livestreams and chat rooms, the old-school slurs seem as hot as ever.
—Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 27 Mar. 2026
Noun
None of the students involved in a group chat that shared racist slurs and antisemitic speech have faced suspension or expulsion since the chats came to light five weeks ago and Nuñez announced stiff punishments were on the table.
—Raisa Habersham, Miami Herald, 16 Apr. 2026
The businessman and father was living in kind of a hell associated with a Third World dungeon -- complete with racial slurs.
—Troy Roberts, CBS News, 8 Apr. 2026
That same year, West praised Adolf Hitler in a rant full of slurs on X, leading to his talent agent Daniel McCartney dropping him.
—Rachel McRady, PEOPLE, 7 Apr. 2026
An angry mob of white adults hurled slurs and spat on the high schoolers.
—Daniel Felsenthal, Pitchfork, 4 Apr. 2026
Neighbor Phyllis Wills' daughter Nevaeh, who is now 16 years old, alleged that Lorincz used slurs in her interactions with children in the neighborhood.
—ABC News, 3 Apr. 2026
As police attempted to arrest a minor for careless driving, a large crowd surrounded officers, yelling profanities and racial slurs, the post says.
—Joseph Hernandez
march 30, Kansas City Star, 30 Mar. 2026
White kids were given textbooks, while the Latino kids were given sheets of paper, and there were a lot of racial slurs being used in the school.
—Kate Bradshaw, Mercury News, 27 Mar. 2026
And in livestreams and chat rooms, the old-school slurs seem as hot as ever.
—Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 27 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for slurs
Noun
-
There are comic insults and lines of great beauty.—
Christopher Arnott,
Hartford Courant,
21 Apr. 2026
-
But instead of paving the way for some good ol’ fashioned infidelity, the liquid courage causes the women to turn on each other, with the evening devolving into inebriated insults and recriminations.—
Brent Lang,
Variety,
20 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
How to Spot Clean a Puffer Jacket No matter what your puffer is filled with, spot cleaning is a safe and easy way to refresh it and is ideal for small stains.—
Katie Cloyd,
Martha Stewart,
22 Apr. 2026
-
Besides adding fresh flavor to seafood and classic cocktails, powering bathroom scouring, and removing stains, lemon peels can also benefit your plants.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
21 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Is that panic, when the flute trills high?—
Linnie Greene,
Pitchfork,
17 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
First seen at a night-club table of menacing lowlifes, Ida, whose mother tongue is Brooklynese, suddenly switches to a heavy British accent and dispenses a torrent of highly literary sarcasms.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
4 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The songs spread outward from Morris’ small voice like paper towel blots.—
Jayson Greene,
Pitchfork,
1 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
There’s still much to discover about the biology underlying these distinctions, but research suggests that hormonal fluctuations throughout life, differences in upper airway anatomy, and even social stigmas about how women should sleep are likely at play.—
Katie Camero,
SELF,
16 Apr. 2026
-
On April 9, 1987, Princess Diana made history and broke stigmas by shaking hands with a man diagnosed with HIV without wearing gloves.—
Rachel Burchfield,
InStyle,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Richard Marx croons his way onto Billboard’s jazz charts for the first time in a career as a lead recording artist that dates back almost 40 years.—
Gary Trust,
Billboard,
26 Jan. 2026
-
Murray — beloved for iconic roles in Groundhog Day, Ghostbusters, Caddyshack and other films — croons spirited renditions of timeless songs, from Bob Dylan to the Kinks to Tommy Tutone.—
Travis Pinson,
Dallas Morning News,
15 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The desert air in Phoenix, Arizona hums a little louder during NCAA Women’s Final Four weekend.—
Ciara Lucas,
SELF,
4 Apr. 2026
-
Your neighbor might rely on an oxygen concentrator to breathe – a machine the size of a carry-on bag that hums quietly through the night.—
Katherine Asmussen,
The Conversation,
18 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Slurs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/slurs. Accessed 25 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
