targeting

verb

present participle of target
as in harassing

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

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 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. — Jacob Robinson, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for targeting
  1. harassing
  2. taunting
  3. tormenting
  4. baiting
  5. pestering
  6. bugging
  7. hassling
  8. teasing
Verb
  • In 2023, he was found napping across a Hobart driveway for hours, blocking a local woman from getting to work, and was relocated after people and dogs began harassing him at another beach.
    — Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 17 July 2026
  • The group has since agreed to dissolve its nonprofit status, following a lawsuit filed by New York Attorney General Letitia James accusing its members of harassing Palestinians.
    — Jake Offenhartz, Fortune, 15 July 2026
Definition of harassing
Verb
  • And the Ithacan more than lives up to his reputation as the most obstinate hero in history, regularly taunting Poseidon (Miles Anderson) despite knowing the god will delay his return home.
    — Elaina Patton, IndieWire, 24 July 2026
  • This incident highlights a pattern of controversial behavior, from racist chants to taunting opponents, which has damaged their global image.
    — Shann Biglione, Forbes.com, 23 July 2026
Definition of taunting
Verb
  • But your dad doesn’t need to be a celeb to enjoy the simple pleasures of tormenting him.
    — Brianna Zigler, Entertainment Weekly, 9 July 2026
  • Rumor has it that Steve Spurrier could be the favorite, which would be hilarious given Spurrier's history of tormenting the Vols.
    — Austin Perry OutKick, FOXNews.com, 16 May 2026
Definition of tormenting
Verb
  • That led him to believe the platform was intentionally baiting him to stay online.
    — Christopher S. Tang, The Conversation, 8 July 2026
  • Palestra is excellent at baiting defenders into committing to a tackle before racing past them.
    — Anantaajith Raghuraman, New York Times, 27 June 2026
Definition of baiting
Verb
  • Bonner brought the bull market with him to CSUF, bringing his pressing, pestering and passionate style of play to a fanbase starved for success.
    — Brian Robin, Oc Register, 8 June 2026
  • The character, Günter Van Ellis (Ivan Sherry), is seen pestering Oh Father (Daveed Diggs) and Homelander at the White House.
    — Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 22 May 2026
Definition of pestering
Verb
  • The necessity of the trip at all is what's been bugging me.
    — Will Greenwald, PC Magazine, 12 June 2026
  • His doctor had been bugging him for years to get a colonoscopy because of his age, but Driggers declined.
    — The Washington Post, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 June 2026
Definition of bugging
Verb
  • 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
Definition of hassling
Verb
  • Suddenly, the same kids who had been teasing me were instead begging for the next chapter.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 15 July 2026
  • In the meantime, some teams, such as the Senators, are teasing creative ways of releasing their season schedule.
    — Julian McKenzie, New York Times, 15 July 2026
Definition of teasing

Browse Nearby Words

targeted
targeting
targets
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Targeting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/targeting. Accessed 25 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on targeting

Nglish: Translation of targeting for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 24

Why do we say 'fly off the handle'?
See More

Popular

See More

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
chain-question-mark
Missing Link Quiz July 2026 Five seconds to figure out the word that fits bot...
See All