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spiky

adjective

variants also spikey
Definition of spikynext
as in barbed

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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 spiky 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 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 Common snappers range from Nova Scotia to the Gulf of Mexico, while their spikier cousins are mostly found in the southern states west to Texas. — Paul Richards, Field & Stream, 1 Nov. 2023 These ads document the EV arms race playing out right now as companies beef up their electric offerings with higher profiles, spikier bodies, and more imposing grilles. — Curbed, 8 Feb. 2023 See All Example Sentences for spiky
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spiky
  1. barbed
  2. caustic
  3. sardonic
  4. sour
  5. acerbic
  6. pungent
  7. sarcastic
  8. acidic
Adjective
  • There are plenty of Ostalgie museums in today’s united Germany, furnished with memorabilia of the German Democratic Republic, from twigs of barbed wire to Trabant gearboxes.
    — Isaac Chotiner, New Yorker, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Across the lot in an unused patch of pavement, pops of bright orange and yellow reach skyward toward the imposing barbed wire that’s laced atop metal security bars.
    — Leigh-Ann Jackson, Los Angeles Times, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of barbed
Adjective
  • Villegas prevailed in a caustic primary over state lawmaker Jasmeet Bains, a moderate who was backed by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 5 Sep. 2026
  • Thus far, Eisenkot, a classic centrist, has been blunt and sometimes caustic in making the case against the prime minister.
    — Amos Harel, Foreign Affairs, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of caustic
Adjective
  • It is loosely based on his 2000 memoir Kitchen Confidential, which revealed the raw chaos of restaurant kitchens in Bourdain's signature sardonic humor.
    — Brittney Melton, NPR, 14 Aug. 2026
  • But Cheekface will still be here, filtering our depraved mutterings into sardonic bangers.
    — Zach Schonfeld, Pitchfork, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of sardonic
Adjective
  • Gasly’s pole and seventh-place finish comes on a weekend that started sour for Alpine.
    — Madeline Coleman, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2026
  • And now all they’re left with is the sour, bitter taste of having been played.
    — Mirjam Swanson, Los Angeles Times, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of sour
Adjective
  • Yiannopoulos’ acerbic and at times hateful speech attracted the fury of students who argued his views should not be platformed.
    — Eduardo Cuevas, CNN Money, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Malgorzata Szumowska, Michal Englert) Aimee Lou Wood and Johnny Flynn are superb as Anna and Fyodor Dostoevsky in Małgorzata Szumowska and Michał Englert’s acerbic and joyful period film.
    — Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of acerbic
Adjective
  • Top it all with sharp cheddar, Romaine lettuce and garlic mayo for a hearty sandwich full of pungent, salty flavors.
    — Lyndsay C. Green, Freep.com, 9 Sep. 2026
  • Those perfectly pungent elements rip through the savory pastrami perfectly, infusing every bite with a slightly prickly tang.
    — Rachel Bernhard, jsonline.com, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of pungent
Adjective
  • Starring Andrew Scott as British actor Ian Charleson, who throws himself into playing Hamlet while succumbing to AIDS, the film’s ensemble cast features Dolan as the sarcastic receptionist at the National Theatre in London.
    — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 10 Sep. 2026
  • The sarcastic Chandler Bing (Matthew Perry) and affable actor Joey Tribbiani (Matt LeBlanc) are among her favorite characters.
    — Mack DeGeurin, Popular Science, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of sarcastic
Adjective
  • Opt for rich, sandy, loam soil with a slightly acidic to neutral pH level.
    — Michelle Mastro, Martha Stewart, 8 Sep. 2026
  • In the book’s first movements, our plucky, brilliant guide through the world of Black mega-church runs on acidic observations, wit, and drolly spouted trivia.
    — Emily Temple, Literary Hub, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of acidic

Browse Nearby Words

spiking
spiky
spile
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Cite this Entry

“Spiky.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spiky. Accessed 16 Sep. 2026.

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