as in teased
to attack repeatedly with mean put-downs or insults
the principal reminded the student athletes that taunting their opponents was not showing good sportsmanship
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Recent Examples of taunted
Lazzaro argued in court the mall victim was the aggressor and had taunted Hernandez over his history as a government informant, saying his reputation as a snitch would put him in grave danger back in prison.
—
Colin Mixson, New York Daily News, 7 Jan. 2026
Flex, who taunted Cassie on Instagram immediately after the Diddy verdict, is not turning back that tide.
—Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 19 Dec. 2025
Friday's sentence was related to small amounts of cocaine and ecstasy being found at the rapper's Miami home during a police raid in March, and his punching a man who taunted him at a Florida mall in August over his cooperation against gang members.
—CBS News, 6 Dec. 2025
The National Guard ⬆ For much of the past year, National Guard units have been pawns on a chessboard, taunted by protesters.
—Newsweek Editors, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Nov. 2025
And throughout it, you, the reader, will be addressed directly, questioned, sometimes taunted by the novel’s unnamed narrator.
—Literary Hub, 19 Nov. 2025
Dearborn police released a statement Tuesday evening, urging people to avoid engaging with the protesters, some of whom taunted Dearborn residents with rhetoric against Islam, immigrants and minorities.
—Niraj Warikoo, Freep.com, 19 Nov. 2025
On another occasion, a group of students tripped him to the ground, put a cheese crown made of paper on his head, and then taunted him with actual cheese.
—Eyal Press, New Yorker, 29 Oct. 2025
While Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto pitched a one-run complete game in a historic outing for Los Angeles at the Rogers Centre, all eyes were on superstar Shohei Ohtani after he was booed and taunted by the Toronto crowd in Game 1.
—Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 26 Oct. 2025
Colin Mixson, New York Daily News, 7 Jan. 2026
Flex, who taunted Cassie on Instagram immediately after the Diddy verdict, is not turning back that tide.
—Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 19 Dec. 2025
Friday's sentence was related to small amounts of cocaine and ecstasy being found at the rapper's Miami home during a police raid in March, and his punching a man who taunted him at a Florida mall in August over his cooperation against gang members.
—CBS News, 6 Dec. 2025
The National Guard ⬆ For much of the past year, National Guard units have been pawns on a chessboard, taunted by protesters.
—Newsweek Editors, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Nov. 2025
And throughout it, you, the reader, will be addressed directly, questioned, sometimes taunted by the novel’s unnamed narrator.
—Literary Hub, 19 Nov. 2025
Dearborn police released a statement Tuesday evening, urging people to avoid engaging with the protesters, some of whom taunted Dearborn residents with rhetoric against Islam, immigrants and minorities.
—Niraj Warikoo, Freep.com, 19 Nov. 2025
On another occasion, a group of students tripped him to the ground, put a cheese crown made of paper on his head, and then taunted him with actual cheese.
—Eyal Press, New Yorker, 29 Oct. 2025
While Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto pitched a one-run complete game in a historic outing for Los Angeles at the Rogers Centre, all eyes were on superstar Shohei Ohtani after he was booed and taunted by the Toronto crowd in Game 1.
—Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 26 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for taunted
Verb
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Hilary Duff teased a new single with a video of her singing in a soaking wet butter yellow dress.—
Emma Banks,
InStyle,
9 Jan. 2026
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As teased by a first look clip, this twist will give way to season-long feuds, shocking betrayals, and plenty of trash talk.—
Randall Colburn,
Entertainment Weekly,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The 45-year-old's work at the CBS Evening News desk was even criticized by fellow TV personality Megyn Kelly, who relentlessly mocked Dokoupil for crying during a CBS News Miami clip that saw him being interviewed by a local broadcaster and subsequently crying over memories of his childhood.—
Joey Nolfi,
Entertainment Weekly,
12 Jan. 2026
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Google even subtly mocked the iPhone’s AI shortcomings in ads promoting the release of its latest Pixel phone last summer.—
Michael Liedtke,
Fortune,
12 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Taunted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/taunted. Accessed 19 Jan. 2026.
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