as in teases
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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of taunts
Nicole Briese,
PEOPLE,
28 May 2026
Newsom taunts Trump with multiple jabs as Florida redistricting fight ramps up.
—
FOXNews.com,
28 Apr. 2026
Owen is a serial killer who, much like Zodiac, taunts the police with phone calls threatening the murder of innocent citizens.
—
Rosy Cordero,
Deadline,
14 Apr. 2026
So much for Anthropic's Super Bowl taunts.
—
Alexei Oreskovic,
Fortune,
10 Feb. 2026
More than an hour into the film, during a scene in which Buffalo Bill taunts the captive Catherine Martin—a moment that features both characters screaming directly into the camera—Mary got up and headed to the lobby.
—
Brian Raftery,
Longreads,
29 Jan. 2026
In a 30-second clip, Adams is seen leaving a jet bridge while a woman who is walking ahead of him seemingly taunts Adams.
—
Marley Malenfant,
Austin American Statesman,
15 Jan. 2026
The two come face-to-face at the end of the episode, during which Callahan taunts Kyle over his wife's murder.
—
Allison Degrushe,
Entertainment Weekly,
29 Dec. 2025
Instead, Pennywise taunts Ingrid before showing her the deadlights and leaving her (mostly) catatonic.
—
Louis Peitzman,
Vulture,
8 Dec. 2025
Verb
In the final episode of the season, Max taunts Pip on her way to Stanley’s funeral as his companion, a young blonde, laughs and drinks wine.
—
Nicole Briese,
PEOPLE,
28 May 2026
Newsom taunts Trump with multiple jabs as Florida redistricting fight ramps up.
—
FOXNews.com,
28 Apr. 2026
Owen is a serial killer who, much like Zodiac, taunts the police with phone calls threatening the murder of innocent citizens.
—
Rosy Cordero,
Deadline,
14 Apr. 2026
So much for Anthropic's Super Bowl taunts.
—
Alexei Oreskovic,
Fortune,
10 Feb. 2026
More than an hour into the film, during a scene in which Buffalo Bill taunts the captive Catherine Martin—a moment that features both characters screaming directly into the camera—Mary got up and headed to the lobby.
—
Brian Raftery,
Longreads,
29 Jan. 2026
In a 30-second clip, Adams is seen leaving a jet bridge while a woman who is walking ahead of him seemingly taunts Adams.
—
Marley Malenfant,
Austin American Statesman,
15 Jan. 2026
The two come face-to-face at the end of the episode, during which Callahan taunts Kyle over his wife's murder.
—
Allison Degrushe,
Entertainment Weekly,
29 Dec. 2025
Instead, Pennywise taunts Ingrid before showing her the deadlights and leaving her (mostly) catatonic.
—
Louis Peitzman,
Vulture,
8 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for taunts
Verb
-
The Grammy winner also teases that new music is on the way.
-
The clip, which starts from Scooby's view, teases something absolutely vicious.
Noun
-
Loud jeers have greeted the stoppages, around 22 minutes into each half, especially at games played in stadiums with roofs and air conditioning, such as Atlanta.
-
In response, the Fed raised or lowered interest rates to increase or decrease liquidity, eliciting both cheers and jeers from political and economic opinion makers.
Verb
-
One of the moments in the musical that caused the most laughter and claps from the audience was the final song, which mocks the idea of using violence as a form of protest rather than joining a movement or focusing on policy.
-
The group openly mocks Jesus Christ and many Christian and Catholic traditions.
Noun
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In recent weeks, Avila Chevalier has been under a microscope for her past tweets, including posts calling for defunding the police and abolishing the border, alongside harsh insults of big-name Democrats such as former Vice President Kamala Harris.
-
Michael Lind, the writer and New America co-founder, argues in Commonplace, the magazine of Oren Cass’s American Compass, that a decent wage and a safety net should be enough, and that handing workers a stake in capital insults the dignity of their labor.
Noun
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Especially women, with all those drunken servicemen rolling through, packs of them, fights spilling out of the cafés, catcalls and spitting in the streets.
-
For Dua, puberty and social maturity become knotted up in unpredictable notions of bodily harm (whether acted upon, or merely threatened), as Serbian boys and men harass her on the way home from school, lacing their catcalls with ethnic slurs.
Noun
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The screenplay from Christina Friel and Connor Wright tosses out the right sassy quips while the drag star-dominant cast get a bodacious opportunity to dance and sing, all making this an E-ticket ride that’s impossible to sashay away from without a big smile on your face.
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Whether captivating viewers with his effortless charm or displaying an emotional depth that belies his humorous quips, London Brown has carved out a space as both a dramatic force and an undeniable comedic standout.
Noun
-
Look, of the outrages, these are like the least among them, as far as being upset with the administration, with the president.
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More recently, Tandy Hills experienced issues with ATVs being driven through the park and damaging wildflowers, sparking outrages on social media from people who demanded the city take action.
Noun
-
These things are murders and affronts to the dignity of human life.
-
Any tension between them, though, stems from personal affronts, while their ideological differences exist as a largely unremarked upon undercurrent.
Cite this Entry
“Taunts.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/taunts. Accessed 27 Jun. 2026.
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