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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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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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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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
Ethereum is also poised for gains, with Citigroup marking up its future target for the second-largest cryptocurrency’s price from $2,240 to $3,028. — Camila Grigera Naón, Fortune, 1 Oct. 2026 Bowers was excellent in his season debut, catching 10 of his 13 targets for 116 yards and a touchdown. — Pete Sweeney october 1, Kansas City Star, 1 Oct. 2026
Verb
Popular active components like vitamin C and retinoids are intended to target a real concern, and a botanical routine can reach the same concerns more gently. — Miami Herald, 1 Oct. 2026 The sanctions add to that military pressure by adding economic repercussions, especially if the sanctions target buyers and networks helping sustain Russian energy. — Samya Kullab, Los Angeles Times, 18 Sep. 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
  • South African police said Monday that another body of a woman was discovered in Ekurhuleni, east of Johannesburg, bringing the total number of female victims recently found in the area to 11.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 28 Sep. 2026
  • The family of one of the victims in the shooting, Tiru Chabba, is already suing OpenAI in federal court.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of victim
Noun
  • The joke refers to Sheeran’s appearance on Chicken Shop Date in November 2021, when Dimoldenberg met the singer at Sam’s Chicken in London.
    — Mitchell Peters, Billboard, 27 Sep. 2026
  • Thank God for both Jane Wickline and Jeremy Culhane stopping by the desk for funny, clear, and joke-heavy characters.
    — Rima Parikh, Vulture, 27 Sep. 2026
Definition of joke
Noun
  • Sitting next to Hopkins at the podium after the match was Chawinga, who came away with a goal and assist on the day.
    — Daniel Sperry, Kansas City Star, 30 Sep. 2026
  • The goal was to recapture the way music was recorded decades ago, bringing musicians together to play live, with large instrumental ensembles that, in some tracks, involved more than 90 musicians.
    — Franchesca Guim, Billboard, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of goal
Verb
  • After jawing with Oregon players, the junior linebacker was seen taunting the Oregon sideline and celebrating on his way back to USC’s side of the field.
    — Ryan Kartje, Los Angeles Times, 30 Sep. 2026
  • Afroman went on to publish songs and music videos taunting the deputies, including one called Lemon Pound Cake that mocked the portly deputy for his apparent interest in the cake.
    — Andrew Graham, Sacbee.com, 22 Sep. 2026
Definition of taunt
Noun
  • Can consumers participate online without falling prey to scammers?
    — Jon M. Huntsman, Fortune, 24 Sep. 2026
  • The Project’s ranks now include about 80 fishermen manning 15 boats who also support the tagging and research of their erstwhile prey (their work has led to the recent world-first tagging of 10 tiger sharks in Indonesian waters).
    — Juliet Kinsman, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Sep. 2026
Definition of prey
Noun
  • Judge Judy star Judith Sheindlin famously does not suffer fools.
    — Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 24 Sep. 2026
  • An oxpecker in dark plumage and a bright orange bill perched on the crown of the rhino’s head like the king’s fool.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 22 Sep. 2026
Definition of fool
Noun
  • The aim is to atone for the Catholic Church's failure to protect its youngest and most vulnerable members from predator priests.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 28 Sep. 2026
  • Hiu Man Chan said the opening pick reflected the festival’s aim to treat fashion as more than clothing and catwalks, and to explore how film, music, visual identity and pop culture feed into one another.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 27 Sep. 2026
Definition of aim
Verb
  • And in taking Perim Island, which lies in the middle the Red Sea at the strait’s narrowest point (a mere 12½ miles), the Houthis could harass ships with ease.
    — Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 27 Sep. 2026
  • John Mateer, once among the Heisman Trophy favorites, was harassed into a 25-of-34 passing day that included an interception and two fumbles that led to 14 Georgia points.
    — Mike Griffith, AJC.com, 27 Sep. 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 4 Oct. 2026.

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Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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