SPIKY Synonyms: 88 Similar and Opposite Words

spiky

adjective

variants also spikey

Definition of spiky

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

Adjective

The confrontation between father and daughter, in which Taylor-Joy unloads Lucky’s resentments about growing up in the life, is one of the season’s most barbed moments.

— Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 15 July 2026
But his view of Adrian’s methods, goals, and way of life end up making the bond of mentorship both tenuous and barbed.

— Richard Brody, New Yorker, 10 July 2026

Definition of barbed

Adjective

Rohmer’s caustic cynicism Conversely, a filmmaker of the French New Wave who has seen his stock rise during the last few years is Eric Rohmer, championed by Noah Baumbach among others.

— Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times, 26 June 2026
Hostile and caustic had a different meaning in 1962.

— ABC News, ABC News, 23 June 2026

Definition of caustic

Adjective

The Leeds quartet built a reputation on sardonic observations about modern life, packaging political unease inside wiry post-punk.

— Sophie Miller, Rolling Stone, 19 July 2026
Unlike more overtly depressive takes on this role, Bos’ Hamlet is impetuous and sardonic, often bounding up three stairs in a single step and unspooling his words, words, words as if his mouth can’t keep up with his restless mind.

— Emily McClanathan, Chicago Tribune, 9 July 2026

Definition of sardonic

Adjective

Though the loss leaves a sour taste, as time passes by, plenty of positives will be remembered.

— Tom Bogert, New York Times, 15 July 2026
The notice of violation was issued on July 12, after the agency received more than 40 public complaints of rotten, sour, garbage-type odors in the area.

— Tony Briscoe, Los Angeles Times, 14 July 2026

Definition of sour

Adjective

So Knox introduces Juliette to the acerbic ex-miner Mark Chambers, who also tells Madame Mayor to forget about Lukas.

— Noel Murray, Vulture, 17 July 2026
At the level of style, there was nothing obviously flamboyant about Allen’s music, nor her presence on stage, the quiet, acerbic composure of her delivery.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 13 July 2026

Definition of acerbic

Adjective

These compounds have a strong, pungent odor that many insects, including grubs, find repulsive.

— SJ McShane, Martha Stewart, 11 July 2026
By the early 1990s, Eugene had earned itself a reputation as a beacon of progressive-minded irreverence, drawing a pungent mix of weirdos, iconoclasts, and freethinkers.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 10 July 2026

Definition of pungent

Adjective

Another way to say this is that, in place of the extensive self-announcements Plato allows his characters, Rochester substitutes his own summary judgements, his sarcastic imitations.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 6 July 2026
This is taken as evidence of his status, not a sarcastic criticism.

— Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 July 2026

Definition of sarcastic

Adjective

The Venus flytrap is native only to the coastal wetlands and bogs of North Carolina and South Carolina, and grows naturally in nutrient-poor, acidic, and perpetually wet areas.

— SJ McShane, Martha Stewart, 14 July 2026
Earlier studies also showed that slightly acidic seawater from the BPMED process can accelerate algae growth, and allow future systems to simultaneously recover minerals while producing chemicals, fuels, fertilizers, and biomass.

— Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 14 July 2026

Definition of acidic

Browse Nearby Words

spiking

spiky

spile

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“Spiky.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spiky. Accessed 22 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of spiky

adjective

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