TARGETING Synonyms: 63 Similar and Opposite Words

targeting

verb

present participle of target

as in harassing

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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

Verb

From harassing Brady over his divorce from Gisele Bündchen on social media to trying to be a rapper and much more, Brown’s post-football life has been one filled with public outbursts and controversial statements and stunts.

— Scott Thompson OutKick, FOXNews.com, 19 Oct. 2026
The league is also partnering with a third-party service provider to help monitor and control harassing messages.

— Jessica Golden,Contessa Brewer, CNBC, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of harassing

Verb

After several hours of tormenting Machado, Sierra placed his leg on her chest to keep her from moving and wrapped a yellow Sedano’s Supermarket plastic bag over her face.

— Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 19 Oct. 2026
This shift from just hating and tormenting Mozart, and expanding that rage against God and his own mediocrity is what makes this play so profound and distinctive.

— Doni Wilson, Houston Chronicle, 30 Sep. 2026

Definition of tormenting

Verb

In Pakistan, Choudhary told me, the workforce of the author-baiting scams is largely made up of high-school and university graduates.

— Snigdha Poonam, The Dial, 13 Oct. 2026
But someone needs to jar Bell's memory and adjust his grasp of facts to get him off this race-baiting narrative.

— Armando Salguero OutKick, FOXNews.com, 1 Oct. 2026

Definition of baiting

Verb

On Monday, a court granted the US government’s request to deny release of a former OpenAI engineer accused of bugging a top-secret conference room to steal the frontier lab’s secrets.

— Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 19 Oct. 2026
However, in-flight cabin etiquette is only one part of what’s bugging travelers this summer.

— Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 6 Aug. 2026

Definition of bugging

Verb

After teasing the collab on their respective social channels earlier this week, the two have officially released their 37-piece collection—consisting of knits, jackets, and pants—in stores and online worldwide today.

— Bianca Kratky, Glamour, 23 Oct. 2026
Chris Pratt is teasing his return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) to reprise his role as Star-Lord from Guardians of the Galaxy.

— Armando Tinoco, Deadline, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of teasing

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targeted

targeting

targets

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Style

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

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Synonyms of targeting

verb

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