as in teasing
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
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of taunting
CBS News, 28 Dec. 2025
While negligible to his overall earnings, the penalty fits the league’s recent crackdown on celebrations and taunting, as several players were fined earlier this season for similar actions.
—Rowan Fisher-Shotton, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Nov. 2025
Earlier this month, after being contacted by CNN, the person reached out to Novak via WhatsApp for the first time since July with a series of taunting messages.
—Faith Karimi, CNN Money, 29 Nov. 2025
What follows is a series of strange and terrifying events, including taunting texts and threatening emails to Cari’s boyfriend and his ex that escalate to stalking, arson, murder, and a mind-bending twist no one saw coming.
—Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 25 Nov. 2025
Axelsson and Hammeken picked up the last man living in Cape Hope, a former hunter who, in his solitude, had started seeing tiny ghosts running through the settlement, taunting him.
—Ben Taub, New Yorker, 24 Nov. 2025
The kickers were so poor that Boston College head coach Bill O’Brien could have been flagged for taunting by calling for a prevent defense at his own 31-yard line just before halftime.
—Pete Sampson, New York Times, 2 Nov. 2025
The child has been taunting Geralt the whole time; the mother, who emerges from the swamp, is desperate for love and warmth and begs for Geralt’s embrace.
—Scott Meslow, Vulture, 30 Oct. 2025
The Overlook Hotel is, yes, sinister and even demonic, taunting Jack Torrance with bizarre visions that Kubrick manipulates to create a mounting sense of dread.
—Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 30 Oct. 2025
Verb
Pittsburgh appeared to go three-and-out on its second drive, but Cleveland's Rayshawn Jenkins was called for taunting.
—CBS News, 28 Dec. 2025
While negligible to his overall earnings, the penalty fits the league’s recent crackdown on celebrations and taunting, as several players were fined earlier this season for similar actions.
—Rowan Fisher-Shotton, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Nov. 2025
Earlier this month, after being contacted by CNN, the person reached out to Novak via WhatsApp for the first time since July with a series of taunting messages.
—Faith Karimi, CNN Money, 29 Nov. 2025
What follows is a series of strange and terrifying events, including taunting texts and threatening emails to Cari’s boyfriend and his ex that escalate to stalking, arson, murder, and a mind-bending twist no one saw coming.
—Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 25 Nov. 2025
Axelsson and Hammeken picked up the last man living in Cape Hope, a former hunter who, in his solitude, had started seeing tiny ghosts running through the settlement, taunting him.
—Ben Taub, New Yorker, 24 Nov. 2025
The kickers were so poor that Boston College head coach Bill O’Brien could have been flagged for taunting by calling for a prevent defense at his own 31-yard line just before halftime.
—Pete Sampson, New York Times, 2 Nov. 2025
The child has been taunting Geralt the whole time; the mother, who emerges from the swamp, is desperate for love and warmth and begs for Geralt’s embrace.
—Scott Meslow, Vulture, 30 Oct. 2025
The Overlook Hotel is, yes, sinister and even demonic, taunting Jack Torrance with bizarre visions that Kubrick manipulates to create a mounting sense of dread.
—Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 30 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for taunting
Adjective
-
To get a sense of his whole deal, look no further than the half-mocking, half-earnest title of his latest album, Country!—
Jonathan Bernstein,
Rolling Stone,
23 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Viewers see painful flashbacks throughout the show of classmates teasing Kelly about being overweight and daring her to drink urine.—
Olivia B. Waxman,
Time,
8 Jan. 2026
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On Wednesday, Duff ramped up the anticipation for her new album, teasing a new song about dive bar hookups, inconvenient roommates, and a once-red-hot romance fizzling into the tombs of relationship graveyards.—
Charisma Madarang,
Rolling Stone,
7 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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The revelation quickly made headlines, and the social-media peanut gallery was sharply derisive.—
Emma Sandler,
Vogue,
15 Dec. 2025
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There is nothing quite like experiencing a truly terrible film with a room full of gleefully derisive bad-movie fans.—
Randy McMullen,
Mercury News,
30 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Vice President Vance appeared on FOX News Channel’s The Ingraham Angle hours after the heckling incident, telling the host about visiting with the national guardsmen and discussing recent changes to the city, while briefly mentioning the protesters.—
Jillian Frankel,
People.com,
21 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Where internet trolls often come off as flippant or spiteful, there is a relentless sense of play and mastery of language in even McNally’s most needling posts.—
Fran Hoepfner,
Vulture,
5 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Taunting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/taunting. Accessed 10 Jan. 2026.
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