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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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
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The Grammy winner also teases that new music is on the way.—
Alexandra Del Rosario,
Los Angeles Times,
17 June 2026
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The clip, which starts from Scooby's view, teases something absolutely vicious.—
Marina Watts,
Entertainment Weekly,
8 June 2026
Noun
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Commencement speakers across the country have been met with widespread jeers over the past month, mostly in skeptical response to statements about a pending workplace evolution related to AI.—
Tristan Bove,
Fortune,
15 June 2026
-
In his first season, Partey made 32 appearances for Villarreal, where the jeers and whistles have followed him.—
James McNicholas,
New York Times,
12 June 2026
Verb
-
The group openly mocks Jesus Christ and many Christian and Catholic traditions.—
Jon Root OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
30 May 2026
-
Oklahoma City Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is demanding all copies of Unethical Hoops, a new Operation-style board game that mocks his foul-drawing reputation, be destroyed.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
29 May 2026
Noun
-
The adversaries made for a striking scene, exchanging insults in mutually unintelligible languages in the dead of night.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
16 June 2026
-
The president lobbed insults at the Fed chair and the two clashed over the budget for a multibillion-dollar renovation project at the Fed's Washington headquarters.—
Rachel Barber,
USA Today,
15 June 2026
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.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 June 2026
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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.—
Siddhant Adlakha,
Variety,
13 May 2026
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.—
Randy Myers,
Mercury News,
11 June 2026
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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.—
Preezy Brown,
VIBE.com,
10 June 2026
Noun
-
Look, of the outrages, these are like the least among them, as far as being upset with the administration, with the president.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
14 June 2026
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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.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
25 Mar. 2026
Noun
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These things are murders and affronts to the dignity of human life.—
Chris Stirewalt,
The Hill,
28 Apr. 2026
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Any tension between them, though, stems from personal affronts, while their ideological differences exist as a largely unremarked upon undercurrent.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
25 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Taunts.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/taunts. Accessed 21 Jun. 2026.
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