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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to taunt
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of target
Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 7 Jan. 2026
Changes in the performance or financial condition of either the target or acquiror, as well as changes in the industry or financing landscapes, could jeopardize these financing arrangements.
—Todd Spangler, Variety, 7 Jan. 2026
CNN Money, 22 Oct. 2025
Pivot team officers use data to proactively target crime hot spots across the city.
—David Ferrara, Cincinnati Enquirer, 22 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for target
Noun
The company said the Series F funding round had exceeded a $15B target, with investors including Valor Equity Partners, Stepstone Group, Fidelity Management & Research Company, Qatar Investment Authority, MGX and Baron Capital Group, along with previous investors Nvidia and Cisco Investments.
—Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 7 Jan. 2026
Changes in the performance or financial condition of either the target or acquiror, as well as changes in the industry or financing landscapes, could jeopardize these financing arrangements.
—Todd Spangler, Variety, 7 Jan. 2026
Verb
The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime says Indonesia is a major drug smuggling hub despite having some of the strictest drug laws in the world, in part because international drug syndicates target its young population.
—CNN Money, 22 Oct. 2025
Pivot team officers use data to proactively target crime hot spots across the city.
—David Ferrara, Cincinnati Enquirer, 22 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for target
Recent Examples of Synonyms for target
Noun
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Court documents in the federal prosecution of the employee, Jacob Melvin Hart, indicate there could be more juvenile victims from Crossline Community Church.—
Tony Saavedra,
Oc Register,
24 Jan. 2026
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All three victims were shot and killed outside the Sky Market on 85th Avenue and International Boulevard, allegedly after the brothers attempted to purchase marijuana from another person who was at the store, authorities said.—
Nate Gartrell,
Mercury News,
24 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Prosecutors maintain the messages showed intent, not a joke or gossip.—
Stepheny Price,
FOXNews.com,
22 Jan. 2026
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In one scene, Bing Crosby, who plays Tracy’s ex-husband in the movie, jokes about its size.—
Rachel Garrahan,
Vogue,
22 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Join Palmer in crushing New Year’s fitness goals with this nifty Pilates set that comes with a ring, mini ball, and four resistance bands.—
Averi Baudler,
PEOPLE,
8 Jan. 2026
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Giving love to local venues For McLaughlin and Arthurs, the goal was always to bring the film to venues around the Carolinas as a way to promote those spaces, like The Milestone, that were filled with local music history.—
Zach Dennis,
Charlotte Observer,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Lazzaro argued in court the mall victim was the aggressor and had taunted Hernandez over his history as a government informant, saying his reputation as a snitch would put him in grave danger back in prison.—
Colin Mixson,
New York Daily News,
7 Jan. 2026
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The two come face-to-face at the end of the episode, during which Callahan taunts Kyle over his wife's murder.—
Allison DeGrushe,
Entertainment Weekly,
29 Dec. 2025
Noun
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The structural density of elephant cortical bone provided superior resilience during impact, explaining why ancient toolmakers preferred it over thinner, more brittle bones from smaller prey.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
21 Jan. 2026
-
Small dogs should always be kept on leash, as they can be perceived as prey.—
Lisa Bloch,
Mercury News,
20 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Don’t let the cream’s $8 price tag fool you; the anti-aging find tackles fine lines, wrinkles, and clogged pores, all while being gentle enough for all skin types.—
Isabel Bekele,
InStyle,
16 Jan. 2026
-
Don’t let the small exterior fool you.—
Brittany VanDerBill,
Better Homes & Gardens,
15 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Their protagonists may be intelligent and quietly manipulative, their aims rife with social or cultural commentary.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
23 Jan. 2026
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For many governments, the question is no longer whether nuclear aligns with climate aims, but whether their development goals are achievable without it.—
Ken Silverstein,
Forbes.com,
22 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Some might have expected Declan Rice alone to win those headers or harass the opposition in that manner, but the partnership between these two is about more than just Zubimendi allowing the England midfielder to burst into goalscoring areas.—
Thom Harris,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
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Student and faculty critics also accused the university of being too slow to respond to complaints about a rising star astrophysicist, Christian Ott, accused or harassing and discriminating against female graduate students as early as 2012.—
Jaweed Kaleem,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Target.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/target. Accessed 25 Jan. 2026.
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