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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show current usage.
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Recent Examples of target
Joe Arruda, Hartford Courant, 11 Apr. 2026
The delay comes as a fragile two-week ceasefire between the United States and Iran holds for now, but remains under strain, as Israel continues to hit Hezbollah targets in Lebanon.
—Dalia Abdelwahab, CNN Money, 11 Apr. 2026
Ishaan Tharoor, New Yorker, 30 Mar. 2026
The goal of this legislation is to target puppy mills — irresponsible dog breeders who don’t provide for animal welfare.
—Ed Sayres, Denver Post, 29 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for target
Noun
Treadway stands out amongst deep receivers group One of several carryovers from Toledo, Treadway is a 6-foot-3, 193-pound rising sophomore who looked comfortable in every situation and saw a high volume of targets on Saturday.
—Joe Arruda, Hartford Courant, 11 Apr. 2026
The delay comes as a fragile two-week ceasefire between the United States and Iran holds for now, but remains under strain, as Israel continues to hit Hezbollah targets in Lebanon.
—Dalia Abdelwahab, CNN Money, 11 Apr. 2026
Verb
Israel, meanwhile, saw Nasser’s rising influence across the Arab world as a danger, and wanted an excuse to cut him down, and to target Palestinian fedayeen militants who were operating in Gaza and the Sinai Peninsula, which were both controlled by Egypt at the time.
—Ishaan Tharoor, New Yorker, 30 Mar. 2026
The goal of this legislation is to target puppy mills — irresponsible dog breeders who don’t provide for animal welfare.
—Ed Sayres, Denver Post, 29 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for target
Recent Examples of Synonyms for target
Noun
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He is then seen slowly approaching the victim, checking his surroundings, and removing his shoes before grabbing her from behind.—
Ana Maria Soler,
CBS News,
11 Apr. 2026
-
The harpsichord was also a victim of the orchestral era.—
Tim Parks,
New Yorker,
11 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The jaw-dropping transformations prompted a hilarious running joke in the comments section from viewers seeking glow-ups of their own.—
Catherine Santino,
PEOPLE,
16 Apr. 2026
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For too long, Charlotte has been a running joke of a pro sports city.—
Scott Fowler,
Charlotte Observer,
16 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Gabriel Vilardi also had a goal and assist for the Jets, and Connor Hellebuyck stopped 32 shots.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
14 Apr. 2026
-
Norris responded with his 12th goal for Buffalo, beating Knight over the goaltender's right shoulder with 58 seconds left in the first.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
14 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Then, guards who worked for the contractor Critical Response Strategies began taunting detainees, threatening to enter the cage where immigrants were held.—
Garrett Shanley,
Miami Herald,
11 Apr. 2026
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That strategy, known as exon skipping, would taunt Debra for two decades, always promising a therapy just out of reach.—
Jason Mast,
STAT,
8 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The Sounders capitalize on very specific prey – ghost shrimp – in Puget Sound.—
Daniel Crocker,
The Conversation,
13 Apr. 2026
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Great white sharks were seen as apex predators, so many people struggled to see them as prey for orcas.—
Michael H Gavshon,
CBS News,
12 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Let’s forgive the fool-killers.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
14 Apr. 2026
-
As Rose’s impoverished yet imperious mother Ruth, Parson’s dry deliveries offer great comic ballast to this ship of fools.—
Frank Rizzo,
Variety,
13 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Short selling — a core component of many hedge fund strategies — involves investors betting against a particular stock or security, with the aim of profiting from a decline in its value.—
Hugh Leask,
CNBC,
16 Apr. 2026
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The aim was to highlight the interfaith movement that has been seeking to end the conflict and care for its many victims.—
Nicole Winfield,
Los Angeles Times,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Dick was also ordered not to harass or attempt to make contact with him in any way.—
Senior Television,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Apr. 2026
-
Canvasser allegedly targeted the roommate with a weekslong campaign of harassing text messages written to suggest the roommate was being watched by a stalking stranger who could see into his suite and even the bathroom.—
Sasha Pezenik,
ABC News,
10 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Target.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/target. Accessed 18 Apr. 2026.
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