targeting

verb

present participle of target
as in harassing

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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
  • Leaders at a high school in Colorado accused of racially harassing students at sports games sent an e-mail to families on Monday about the investigation.
    — Christa Swanson, CBS News, 27 Oct. 2026
  • Trouble at ICE field office For months, protesters outside the Moss building, which houses immigration court and ICE offices, have accused Sacramento police of assisting federal agents and harassing demonstrators.
    — Jennah Pendleton, Sacbee.com, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of harassing
Verb
  • A week earlier, Packers receiver Matthew Golden had drawn a taunting flag for flexing his biceps after a crucial catch against the Cowboys even as the broadcast had one player posing in that very position for introductions.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 27 Oct. 2026
  • That felt pretty sweet for Arthur Tuverson, who gave a little smack talk to the San Clemente student section after the game, taunting them about the defense’s shutout.
    — Caleb Otte, Los Angeles Times, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of taunting
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
  • Andrew Dismukes as Sam-I-Am is pestering the unnamed breakfast hater (Mikey Day).
    — Bethy Squires, Vulture, 11 Oct. 2026
  • Children became the sales force, pestering their parents for the latest product.
    — Andrew Silow-Carroll, Sun Sentinel, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of pestering
Verb
  • The Department of Justice’s prosecution of a Saudi national for allegedly bugging an OpenAI conference room is causing anxiety among OpenAI employees, many of whom are foreign nationals.
    — Benjamin Guggenheim, Washington Post, 23 Oct. 2026
  • 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
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
  • Heidi Klum is already terrorizing the general public by teasing what fresh hell awaits us with her forthcoming Halloween costume.
    — Tom Smyth, Vulture, 29 Oct. 2026
  • The actor appeared in a mid-credits scene teasing his love story with Chan’s Astrid.
    — Armando Tinoco, Deadline, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of teasing

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Cite this Entry

“Targeting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/targeting. Accessed 1 Nov. 2026.

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