Synonyms of targets

targets 1 of 2

noun

plural of target

1

as in victims

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

• victims
• prey
• butts
• marks
• sitting ducks
• scapegoats
• laughingstocks
• goats
• mockeries
• lightning rods
• fall guys
• pilgarlics
• whipping boys

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• troublemakers
• gossips
• tormentors
• gossipers
• tattlers
• tattletales
• defamers
• torturers
• talebearers
• traducers
• libelers
• hecklers
• teasers
• baiters
• taunters
• needlers
• teases
• mockers
• ribbers
• insulters
• scorners
• scoffers
• satirists
• deriders
• libelists
• caricaturists
• parodists
• lampooners
• ridiculers

2

as in jokes

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

• jokes
• victims
• fools
• sports
• butts
• mocks
• marks
• laughingstocks
• pigeons
• jests
• dupes
• mockeries
• derisions
• suckers
• monkeys
• gulls
• saps
• chumps
• fall guys

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• pets
• favorites
• darlings

3

as in goals

something that one hopes or intends to accomplish

our target is to raise $100,000 for a new playground by August

Synonyms & Similar Words

• goals
• purposes
• plans
• objectives
• aims
• objects
• intentions
• ambitions
• intents
• ideas
• dreams
• things
• aspirations
• points
• ideals
• designs
• meanings
• pretensions
• projects
• marks
• bournes
• ends
• hopes
• schemes
• desires
• plots
• destinations
• wishes
• minds
• holy grails
• grails
• nirvanas
• termini

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• means
• methods
• ways

targets

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of target

as in taunts

Related Words

• taunts
• baits
• harasses
• torments
• bugs
• needles
• kids
• rags
• ribs
• harries
• barracks
• pesters
• caricatures
• rallies
• tweaks
• parodies
• teases
• quizzes
• heckles
• twits
• hassles
• catcalls
• pillories
• lampoons
• takes off (on)
• satirizes
• mimics
• rides
• parrots
• apes
• jives
• burlesques
• razzes
• travesties
• imitates
• chaffs
• disparages
• belittles
• decries
• scouts
• joshes
• ridicules
• scorns
• scoffs (at)
• gibes
• bad-mouths
• mocks
• laughs (at)
• jeers
• sneers (at)
• derides
• pooh-poohs
• skewers
• shoots down
• puts down

Dissimilar Words

• approves
• endorses
• commends
• sanctions
• applauds

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of targets

Noun

An old scout has identified several key trade targets to bolster the team. — Bernie Pleskoff, Forbes.com, 30 July 2026

America’s billionaires are looking for sports investments overseas, and English football is increasingly one of their favorite targets. — Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, Fortune, 30 July 2026

China’s targets call for increasing wind and solar to 30% of its power mix by 2030, but Gao Yuhe, Greenpeace East Asia’s project manager, says that goal could be hit by 2028, helped by more rooftop solar-plus-battery deployment. — Reuters, NBC news, 30 July 2026

And unlike criminal proceedings, targets are barred from legally challenging how the evidence was collected by the government. — Sarah N. Lynch, CBS News, 30 July 2026

Alexander Isak left last summer in contentious circumstances, Newcastle were rejected by a host of their leading targets and their recruitment was scattergun. — David Ornstein, New York Times, 30 July 2026

Far from the chumminess on display in the Epstein files, her targets express fear of and even disdain for one another. — Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 30 July 2026

Firms across the street broadly lowered price targets, but none downgraded the stock on worries. — Davis Giangiulio, CNBC, 30 July 2026

Recruits, which are what attendees are called, are brought through different sets from the show and are given missions, such as shooting an airsoft gun at targets and searching a sheriff’s office for clues. — Phillip Molnar, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 July 2026