as in to tease
to attack repeatedly with mean put-downs or insults
the principal reminded the student athletes that taunting their opponents was not showing good sportsmanship
Synonyms & Similar Words
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as in jeer
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of taunt
Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 11 Jan. 2026
The pair had been sniping at each other all game, with Doncic at one point taunting Schroder for not signing an $84-million contract with the Lakers in 2021.
—Los Angeles Times, 11 Jan. 2026
NPR, 25 Nov. 2025
Thursday featured Houston Rockets star Kevin Durant delivering a savage taunt towards Ja Morant's father during the Memphis Grizzlies game.
—Matthew Couden, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for taunt
Verb
Her reasoning is frustrating, but understandable — her husband (Yao), now a vampire, is taunting her outside, and Remmick has threatened to kill her daughter back in town.
—Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 11 Jan. 2026
The pair had been sniping at each other all game, with Doncic at one point taunting Schroder for not signing an $84-million contract with the Lakers in 2021.
—Los Angeles Times, 11 Jan. 2026
Noun
And, so, to counteract this bias, poker players have come up with the following dictum (often offered up as a taunt): Scared money don't make money.
—NPR, 25 Nov. 2025
Thursday featured Houston Rockets star Kevin Durant delivering a savage taunt towards Ja Morant's father during the Memphis Grizzlies game.
—Matthew Couden, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for taunt
Recent Examples of Synonyms for taunt
Verb
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In August 2025, the company announced plans to enter the automotive sector and teased two concept cars that drew heavy comparisons to the Bugatti Chiron and Rolls-Royce Cullinan.—
Sujita Sinha,
Interesting Engineering,
7 Jan. 2026
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Also at the Palm Springs International Film Festival, Cyrus teased a potential return to the beloved, wig-wearing character.—
Bailey Richards,
PEOPLE,
7 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Upon jeers from the crowd following the win, Putintseva cupped her hand to her ear to mock the fans, resulting in loud boos.—
Ryan Morik,
FOXNews.com,
23 Jan. 2026
-
Todd said Norman notified the Fire and Police Commission of the trip in advance of it, which drew jeers from speakers.—
David Clarey,
jsonline.com,
23 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Promoted domestically as a tale of peasant uprising, the film later became a cult curiosity abroad, often mocked for its special effects but recognized as one of the country’s most technically ambitious productions.—
Will Ripley,
CNN Money,
21 Jan. 2026
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Some meme makers are admirers of Kirk who want to valorize him; some are neo-Nazis out to mock Kirk for not being extreme enough (while also drawing attention to their cause); some are liberals trying to troll conservatives; many are surely apolitical types having a nonsensical laugh.—
Spencer Kornhaber,
The Atlantic,
20 Jan. 2026
Noun
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McDonald’s is spreading a little festive sneer this holiday season with the release of a brand-new menu inspired by Dr. Seuss’s The Grinch.—
Jack Beresford,
MSNBC Newsweek,
21 Nov. 2025
-
Burnett tried several versions in a row: first deadpan, then with a sneer of sarcasm, pursing her lips in judgment.—
Rachel Syme,
New Yorker,
29 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The chief executive of Ryanair on Wednesday dismissed Elon Musk’s idea of buying the budget airline and shrugged off insults from the billionaire, in a war of words that erupted over installing Starlink systems on aircraft.—
Kelvin Chan,
Los Angeles Times,
21 Jan. 2026
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Thought of as the graffiti of its time, the inscriptions also included stories about daily life, sporting events, passions and insults, carved into a passageway that connected Pompeii's theater district to one of its main roads.—
Emily Mae Czachor,
CBS News,
20 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Leno later said he felt humiliated by Kimmel’s jibe.—
Greg Evans,
Deadline,
19 Sep. 2025
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The foolishness of the governor’s gibe was underscored by the progressive, staunchly anti-Trump Democratic mayor of San Jose.—
U T Editorial Board,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
6 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The musical prose hums with different accents, most evidently with Milena’s quips in French and Enzo’s Levantine lilt.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
22 Jan. 2026
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Trump’s quips about acquiring the island have ignited international concerns about Greenland’s independence and sovereignty from lawmakers in Washington and NATO allies alike.—
Ashleigh Fields,
The Hill,
10 Jan. 2026
Noun
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On January 13, Halligan responded, using language that could most charitably be viewed as an affront to any jurist, certainly a federal judge.—
Miles J. Zaremski,
The Orlando Sentinel,
18 Jan. 2026
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Even McClean, brought up on the Creggan estate in Derry where six of the Catholic men shot dead by British troops on Bloody Sunday were from, explaining his stance — that to wear the poppy would be an affront to his community — did nothing to stop the abuse.—
Richard Sutcliffe,
New York Times,
17 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Taunt.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/taunt. Accessed 28 Jan. 2026.
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