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
During Sunday afternoon’s series-ending Game 4 — which the Knicks won, 144-114 — the New York fans booed Joel Embiid loudly and taunted him with posters showing Mitchell Robinson dunking on him two days earlier.
—
Peter Sblendorio, Hartford Courant, 11 May 2026
The window next to my desk overlooks the gym’s large communal exercise room, and throughout the day, I am taunted by the sight of gyrating bodies panting through a Zumba class or a kettlebell set.
—Rachel Syme, New Yorker, 8 May 2026
Edwards taunted Nuggets fans at the end of Minnesota’s Game 7 win in 2024, getting on Jokic’s nerves in the process.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 25 Apr. 2026
The former South Carolina guard was drafted by the Indiana Fever on Monday, April 13, meaning Johnson and Clark will now be teammates, three years after the former Iowa star taunted Johnson by refusing to defend her in the national semifinal game.
—Anna Lazarus Caplan, PEOPLE, 14 Apr. 2026
Iza later taunted the victim by sending him a photograph of the arrest and booking photo.
—City News Service, Daily News, 17 Mar. 2026
And they were taunted by the protesters, getting abused for no reason.
—Emma Rosenblum, Curbed, 12 Mar. 2026
Police say Woods taunted Stewart before pulling the trigger, but the exact motive is unknown.
—Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 15 Feb. 2026
This question has tantalized and taunted Bulls fans for years — and this trade deadline is no different.
—Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 5 Feb. 2026
Peter Sblendorio, Hartford Courant, 11 May 2026
The window next to my desk overlooks the gym’s large communal exercise room, and throughout the day, I am taunted by the sight of gyrating bodies panting through a Zumba class or a kettlebell set.
—Rachel Syme, New Yorker, 8 May 2026
Edwards taunted Nuggets fans at the end of Minnesota’s Game 7 win in 2024, getting on Jokic’s nerves in the process.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 25 Apr. 2026
The former South Carolina guard was drafted by the Indiana Fever on Monday, April 13, meaning Johnson and Clark will now be teammates, three years after the former Iowa star taunted Johnson by refusing to defend her in the national semifinal game.
—Anna Lazarus Caplan, PEOPLE, 14 Apr. 2026
Iza later taunted the victim by sending him a photograph of the arrest and booking photo.
—City News Service, Daily News, 17 Mar. 2026
And they were taunted by the protesters, getting abused for no reason.
—Emma Rosenblum, Curbed, 12 Mar. 2026
Police say Woods taunted Stewart before pulling the trigger, but the exact motive is unknown.
—Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 15 Feb. 2026
This question has tantalized and taunted Bulls fans for years — and this trade deadline is no different.
—Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 5 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for taunted
Verb
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Despite the cancellations, the group has teased that new artist names are set to be released in the near future.—
Fernando Cervantes Jr,
USA Today,
1 June 2026
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In a new interview with People, Cipriano teased what viewers can expect of the Logan and Grace storyline.—
Natalie Oganesyan,
Deadline,
31 May 2026
Verb
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McGuire did say that Hammond would be ready Week 1 if Texas accepted his offer to play in Lubbock or AT&T Stadium after head coach Steve Sarkisian mocked the Red Raiders’ schedule this season.—
Steven Johnson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
28 May 2026
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For years, the engineer slots have been mocked by theme-park enthusiasts as boring tasks — to the point that it was quietly mocked in a stage show at the recent Orlando Fringe Festival.—
Dewayne Bevil,
The Orlando Sentinel,
27 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Taunted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/taunted. Accessed 5 Jun. 2026.
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