Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of targeting
Taylor, a fluid 6-foot-5, is already the Jets’ second-best receiver and plays with a quarterback, Justin Fields, who is prone to targeting tight ends — fifth-highest tight end target rate since 2021, and Cole Kmet had a career-high 719 yards with Fields as his quarterback in 2023.
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Jacob Robinson, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2025
Jacob Robinson, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for targeting
Verb
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Ocasio 31 years ago in Bayamón, Puerto Rico, has certainly questioned the administration’s practice of harassing and breaking promises to Latinos, especially those from unstable nations who have sought asylum here.—
Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board,
The Orlando Sentinel,
11 Feb. 2026
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The Seattle defense, which nicknamed itself the Dark Side, lived in quarterback Drake Maye’s face, sacking him six times and harassing him into three turnovers.—
Jerry Brewer,
New York Times,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Defense attorney Kevin Rousseau suggested in witness questioning that Bell-Johnson, who is known as One Leg and uses a prosthetic limb, sought comfort in gang membership in part because of taunting connected to his disability.—
Emerson Clarridge
Updated February 9,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
10 Feb. 2026
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Another child care center director recounted how vehicles full of taunting men have driven by more than once.—
Frederick Melo,
Twin Cities,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Those mistakes neutralized some exciting attacking play from Austin FC, which spent the 90 minutes tormenting Minnesota United down the left flank.—
David Eckert,
Austin American Statesman,
21 Feb. 2026
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While the dogs are now safe with foster families, Holmes faces multiple charges, including confining an animal without sufficient food or water, keeping animals in an enclosure without exercise or air, and tormenting or depriving an animal.—
Nikiya Carrero,
CBS News,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The replies are mostly AI bots, or rage-baiting stan accounts.—
Larisha Paul,
Rolling Stone,
15 Feb. 2026
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Never mind foul-baiting and load management, the hottest topics circling the NBA in 2026 are tanking and the opposite – trying too hard to win, allegedly, in the Clippers’ case.—
Mirjam Swanson,
Oc Register,
15 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Every day the press corps descended on both teams with pestering questions, some of which were obvious plants to promote products.—
Sally Jenkins,
The Atlantic,
9 Feb. 2026
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The strengths that those same opponents will spend long hours trying to account for — Nix’s pestering speed, a relentless pass-rush that produced a franchise-record 68 sacks, including four of Lance — aren’t changing either.—
Nick Kosmider,
New York Times,
5 Jan. 2026
Verb
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That thing’s been bugging on him for a while.—
Pete Sweeney,
Kansas City Star,
29 Dec. 2025
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Then Julian dropped one of his wireless earbuds into Olympia’s purse, using it as a crude bugging device.—
Noel Murray,
Vulture,
12 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Eventually, Bournemouth were so sick of Sadiki’s hassling that substitute Lewis Cook jutted an elbow at him.—
Chris Weatherspoon,
New York Times,
1 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Ahead of the release of Morally Gray, Quinn’s social media have been teasing the actor’s upcoming narration with one clip of him notably tapping his wrist, something his Tell Me Lies character did to Grace Van Patten’s Lucy to help reduce her anxiety and calming the nervous system.—
Lexy Perez,
HollywoodReporter,
19 Feb. 2026
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Here, Ryan breaks down the ending of the show’s latest chapter, sharing the thinking behind a few key plotlines, and teasing a small detail about Season 4, which is currently being written.—
Jake Kring-Schreifels,
Time,
19 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Targeting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/targeting. Accessed 27 Feb. 2026.
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