target 1 of 2

noun

ˈtär-gət How to pronounce target (audio)
Definition of targetnext
1
as in victim
a person or thing that is the object of abuse, criticism, or ridicule the hapless vice president quickly became the favorite target of late-night comedians

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2
as in joke
a person or thing that is made fun of a badly made TV commercial that became the target of lots of jokes

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in goal
something that one hopes or intends to accomplish our target is to raise $100,000 for a new playground by August

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target

2 of 2

verb

as in to taunt

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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 target
Noun
The state’s release does not set placement or wage targets for the new institute. — Catherina Gioino, Fortune, 22 Oct. 2026 Lale Esquivel, the father of Luke Esquivel, said his family took the blame and were the targets of over 900 social media posts. — Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 22 Oct. 2026
Verb
But Republicans continue to enjoy a massive advantage in spending and support from outside political groups, such as Musk's, that have helped their candidates target voters. — ABC News, 16 Oct. 2026 Asfaw primarily develops cost-friendly skin care products that target young consumer needs. — Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 9 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for target
Recent Examples of Synonyms for target
  1. victim
  2. joke
  3. goal
  4. taunt
  5. prey
  6. fool
  7. aim
  8. harass
Noun
  • The Baton Rouge Police Department identified the victims as 21-year-old Leah Fonte and 21-year-old Shane Hirstius, who were engaged.
    — Adam Sabes, FOXNews.com, 19 Oct. 2026
  • The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV) has begun notifying victims impacted by a recent data breach of driver’s license and motor vehicle data, but not everyone whose information was stolen will receive an alert.
    — Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of victim
Noun
  • Its frothy, pastel hues and single moment of contrived levity (when one dance claims a trumpet solo for a joke about jamming her toe) is one of those quintessential examples of Balanchine’s repertoire showing its age.
    — Lauren Warnecke, Chicago Tribune, 18 Oct. 2026
  • And the Longhorns’ quarterback, Arch Manning, was the butt of the joke.
    — Noah White, Miami Herald, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of joke
Noun
  • Only 11% said leaving something for the kids is their top financial goal.
    — Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Securing public money for them raises issues over church-state separation but fulfills a longstanding goal for Christian conservatives, who lobbied for this funding.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of goal
Verb
  • More recently, Vega helped fund Diego Marcon’s Krapfen (2025), a film in which a child is taunted by invisible beings that sing and dance.
    — Alex Greenberger, ARTnews.com, 22 Oct. 2026
  • The woman, who also reported it to the league, alleged that Jackson refused to delete the video and taunted her with it.
    — Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of taunt
Noun
  • In the new National Geographic documentary Super Scam Me, journalist Maria van Zeller transforms herself into the perfect prey to dive deep into how romance fraud works.
    — K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Waterfowl and shorebirds are natural hosts of avian influenza viruses, the Ojai Raptor Center said, eagles like Jackie can be exposed through contact with infected birds or infected prey.
    — Allison Gibson, Sacbee.com, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of prey
Noun
  • Don’t let the building’s modern facade fool you, the rooms are minimalist yet warm with wood flooring, floral wallpaper, and hand-knotted rugs.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 8 Oct. 2026
  • In these labors, Carson is akin to two other recent laureates, Jon Fosse and László Krasznahorkai, our foremost writers of holy fools.
    — Merve Emre, New Yorker, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of fool
Noun
  • Moscow has been widely accused by Western officials of running a campaign of sabotage and disruption, including with the use of drones, with the aim of undermining support for Ukraine and destabilizing European nations.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 18 Oct. 2026
  • Basis trades are an arbitrage bet in which hedge funds are positioned long in cash Treasurys while shorting their corresponding futures contracts, with the aim of profiting from the price gap.
    — Hugh Leask, CNBC, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of aim
Verb
  • From harassing Brady over his divorce from Gisele Bündchen on social media to trying to be a rapper and much more, Brown’s post-football life has been one filled with public outbursts and controversial statements and stunts.
    — Scott Thompson OutKick, FOXNews.com, 19 Oct. 2026
  • Yet against Texas, the Gators stopped the Longhorns twice on fourth down, repeatedly harassed Manning and held the Texas offense under 300 total yards.
    — Mike Bianchi, The Orlando Sentinel, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of harass

Browse Nearby Words

tardy
target
targeted
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Cite this Entry

“Target.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/target. Accessed 25 Oct. 2026.

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