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
Fiifi Frimpong, New York Daily News, 22 May 2025
Like in Mario Kart 8, executing a taunt (with the drift button) at the apex of a ramp will let players get a little speed boost.
—Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 6 June 2025
Benjamin Vanhoose, People.com, 14 July 2025
Since stepping down as president in 2012 to allow Putin to return to the post, Medvedev has transformed himself from a relatively liberal technocrat into an uber-nationalist, taunting Russia’s adversaries with provocative social media posts.
—Tim Lister, CNN Money, 3 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for taunt
Verb
Haliburton proceeded to make the choke sign — a not-so-subtle callback to Reggie Miller’s taunt directed at Spike Lee during the 1994 Eastern Conference Finals.
—Fiifi Frimpong, New York Daily News, 22 May 2025
Like in Mario Kart 8, executing a taunt (with the drift button) at the apex of a ramp will let players get a little speed boost.
—Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 6 June 2025
Noun
The last to do his photos for the day, Withers posts up next to the large pool that’s been taunting everyone all day and sits on the edge of the diving board.
—Benjamin Vanhoose, People.com, 14 July 2025
Since stepping down as president in 2012 to allow Putin to return to the post, Medvedev has transformed himself from a relatively liberal technocrat into an uber-nationalist, taunting Russia’s adversaries with provocative social media posts.
—Tim Lister, CNN Money, 3 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for taunt
Recent Examples of Synonyms for taunt
Verb
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And we have been teased and fooled before in the near-quarter century since that last crown in 2001.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
15 Aug. 2025
-
And how does Wednesday season 2, part 1, tease her role in the story?—
EW.com,
EW.com,
14 Aug. 2025
Noun
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But Altuve did not receive the loudest jeers of the night, as Devin Williams heard an earful from his home crowd after entering the game in the 10th inning.—
Gary Phillips,
New York Daily News,
9 Aug. 2025
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But the most difficult part was the moments before execution, when the person was exposed to the jeers of the crowd, the sight of loved ones, and the sound of their sentence being read out.—
The Editors,
JSTOR Daily,
31 July 2025
Verb
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Protestors were seen holding banners and placards expressing their frustration about Vance and the wider U.S. administration, as well as mocking the vice president.—
Sophie Kiderlin,
CNBC,
14 Aug. 2025
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The event’s host, the actress Florence Foresti, openly mocked the movie’s prominence there.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
14 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Think of the public dissection of and collective sneer toward pop darlings suffering mental health crises, like Britney Spears or Lindsay Lohan, or the contemptuous treatment of Hillary Clinton during her 2016 presidential run.—
Maya Salam,
New York Times,
30 Apr. 2025
-
Up front, its face is a far more rectilinear sneer.—
Brett Berk,
Robb Report,
8 July 2025
Noun
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Several diss tracks followed, with the musicians hurling increasingly spiteful insults at each other relating to accusations of domestic abuse, exploitation and pedophilia.—
Winston Cho,
HollywoodReporter,
13 Aug. 2025
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According to a cell phone video, obtained through CAIR, the man shouted several Islamophobic insults, including insults attacking Islam and the Prophet Muhammad.—
Sean Krofssik,
Hartford Courant,
11 Aug. 2025
Noun
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The rappers spent part of 2024 trading diss tracks in what turned out to be one of the most high-profile beefs in hip-hop history.—
Hugh McIntyre,
Forbes.com,
3 Aug. 2025
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After years of collaborating with DJ Khaled, the 28-year-old rapper had a pointed diss for the Miami artist in a new track teased on a livestream.—
Armon Sadler,
VIBE.com,
30 July 2025
Noun
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Roy Keane’s ‘prawn sandwiches’ jibe had interesting origins.—
Michael Walker,
The Athletic,
15 Mar. 2025
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But even some Republicans weren’t happy with the nasty gibe.—
Dave Goldiner,
New York Daily News,
6 Mar. 2025
Noun
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In response to the rapper’s headlining slot at Glastonbury in 2008, Oasis’ Noel Gallagher made a quip that hip-hop does not belong at the festival.—
Brittany Spanos,
Rolling Stone,
5 Aug. 2025
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Butler largely leaves it up to us to wonder what sort of virus might have brought about this crisis, save for a quip from Rye about Americans finding a way to somehow blame it on the Soviet Union.—
Aaron Boehmer
August 4,
Literary Hub,
4 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Taunt.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/taunt. Accessed 20 Aug. 2025.
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