1
: having barbs
2
: characterized by pointed and biting criticism or sarcasm
barbed witticisms
Synonyms of barbed
Examples of barbed in a Sentence
The candidates exchanged barbed comments during the debate.
barbed satire on American academia
Recent Examples on the Web
Have Faith Haiti, with its 30-foot-tall walls, barbed wire and guard towers, looks like a prison from the outside.
—
Denise Schrier Cetta, CBS News, 15 Mar. 2026
Many South African farms are ringed in barbed wire and outfitted with security cameras; one of the migrants told me a story about confronting armed robbers.
—Boyce Upholt, New Yorker, 14 Mar. 2026
The release put out by the White House is on the heels of barbed posts by top aide Cheung and Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt against CNN and several other outlets.
—Dominic Patten, Deadline, 13 Mar. 2026
My parents were just children when they were wrested from their homes into tarpaper barracks surrounded by barbed wire.
—Julie Morita, Chicago Tribune, 19 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for barbed
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Denise Schrier Cetta, CBS News, 15 Mar. 2026
Many South African farms are ringed in barbed wire and outfitted with security cameras; one of the migrants told me a story about confronting armed robbers.
—Boyce Upholt, New Yorker, 14 Mar. 2026
The release put out by the White House is on the heels of barbed posts by top aide Cheung and Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt against CNN and several other outlets.
—Dominic Patten, Deadline, 13 Mar. 2026
My parents were just children when they were wrested from their homes into tarpaper barracks surrounded by barbed wire.
—Julie Morita, Chicago Tribune, 19 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for barbed
Cite this Entry
“Barbed.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/barbed. Accessed 19 Mar. 2026.
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