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
Relevance
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for taunting
Verb
-
Seinfeld was clearly teasing, but sure enough, several headlines reported it as gospel with perhaps a mention three paragraphs in that it was intended to be humorous.—
Jenelle Riley,
Variety,
6 Jan. 2025 -
Squid Game star Lee Jung-jae and creator Hwang Dong-hyuk are teasing the third and final season of the Netflix series.—
Armando Tinoco,
Deadline,
5 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
Bannon talked over and through Newsom’s questions, goading the governor at certain points, gently mocking him at others.—
Gal Beckerman,
The Atlantic,
20 Mar. 2025
-
In the essay, the 37-year-old recalled how Trachtenberg was often bullied by their peers, with kids mocking her for her role in Harriet the Spy.—
Josh Hammer,
Newsweek,
19 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
His comment about being the solution drew derisive laughter from some in the audience.—
Joe Marusak,
Charlotte Observer,
3 June 2025
-
The movie’s historical re-creations, however derisive, are chilling.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
1 Apr. 2025
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Cite this Entry
“Taunting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/taunting. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share