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
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.
Recent Examples of taunting
Jason Anderson, Sacbee.com, 11 Jan. 2026
Her reasoning is frustrating, but understandable — her husband (Yao), now a vampire, is taunting her outside, and Remmick has threatened to kill her daughter back in town.
—Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 11 Jan. 2026
The pair had been sniping at each other all game, with Doncic at one point taunting Schroder for not signing an $84-million contract with the Lakers in 2021.
—Los Angeles Times, 11 Jan. 2026
Officers outfitted for combat commingle with Americans screaming obscenities and taunting them.
—Nick Miroff, The Atlantic, 10 Jan. 2026
The crime is notable because the victim was stabbed many times and staged with a taunting message, and because nobody in Dahlonega has ever had to deal with a murder before, other than Jack Harper (Bernthal), a detective and native son who once worked in Atlanta.
—Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 8 Jan. 2026
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
Verb
Videos surfaced on social media showing Doncic taunting Schroder for turning down a four-year, $84 million contract with the Lakers in 2021.
—Jason Anderson, Sacbee.com, 11 Jan. 2026
Her reasoning is frustrating, but understandable — her husband (Yao), now a vampire, is taunting her outside, and Remmick has threatened to kill her daughter back in town.
—Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 11 Jan. 2026
The pair had been sniping at each other all game, with Doncic at one point taunting Schroder for not signing an $84-million contract with the Lakers in 2021.
—Los Angeles Times, 11 Jan. 2026
Officers outfitted for combat commingle with Americans screaming obscenities and taunting them.
—Nick Miroff, The Atlantic, 10 Jan. 2026
The crime is notable because the victim was stabbed many times and staged with a taunting message, and because nobody in Dahlonega has ever had to deal with a murder before, other than Jack Harper (Bernthal), a detective and native son who once worked in Atlanta.
—Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 8 Jan. 2026
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
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
-
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
-
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
-
The revelation quickly made headlines, and the social-media peanut gallery was sharply derisive.—
Emma Sandler,
Vogue,
15 Dec. 2025
-
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
-
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
-
Glaser was at her best when needling awards-show tropes.—
Hershal Pandya,
Vulture,
13 Jan. 2026
-
He’s repeated that sentiment in countless interviews over the years, but hearing him say it in front of his gently needling bandmates gives it a different kind of resonance.—
Jordan Runtagh,
PEOPLE,
27 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Taunting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/taunting. Accessed 20 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
