affronts 1 of 2

noun

plural of affront
as in insults
an act or expression showing scorn and usually intended to hurt another's feelings took it as an affront that she wasn't invited to say a few words at the ribbon-cutting ceremony

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affronts

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of affront
as in offends
to cause hurt feelings or deep resentment in did not mean to affront you when I told you I didn't need your help

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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 affronts
Noun
Perhaps the kid is resisting gendered socialization itself, the whole ascent to physical adulthood and its attendant adolescent affronts. — Matthew McLean, Artforum, 22 Sep. 2026 These things are murders and affronts to the dignity of human life. — Chris Stirewalt, The Hill, 28 Apr. 2026 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 Meanwhile, some on Wall Street continue to warn of complacency in financial markets amid affronts to the Fed’s independence, persistent nerves about a bubble and increasingly fraught geopolitics. — John Towfighi, CNN Money, 6 Feb. 2026 Shaban’s chief response to this and other affronts is silence. — Sheri Linden, HollywoodReporter, 30 Jan. 2026 And those affronts to standard Hollywood operating procedure threaten millions of jobs across the industry. — Chris Lee, Vulture, 5 Dec. 2025 Bukele, after a disastrous month for his image, was not willing to tolerate any more affronts. — Óscar Martínez & Carlos Martínez, The Dial, 16 Sep. 2025 These constituencies view the sanctions and the tariffs as otherwise legal instruments weaponized for geopolitical purposes—and as direct affronts to Brazil’s democratic integrity. — Hussein Kalout, Foreign Affairs, 2 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for affronts
  1. insults
  2. offends
  3. outrages
  4. sarcasms
  5. indignities
Noun
  • Mathews gathered his belongings and began walking toward his vehicle, but after crossing to the other side of a park fence, an exchange of insults between the pair caused a physical confrontation.
    — Leigh Egan, FOXNews.com, 10 Oct. 2026
  • That would be a rich coda to the audio leak, considering that Oaxacans received some of the nastiest insults.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of insults
Verb
  • Dae’Quan Wright and Zxavian Harris returning from NFL training camps to college offends my sensibilities.
    — Troy Renck, Denver Post, 4 Sep. 2026
  • But something about this circus just offends me on a spiritual level.
    — Amber Harding OutKick, FOXNews.com, 30 June 2026
Definition of offends
Noun
  • The liberal list of Republican offenses is long—so long, indeed, that the outrages blur.
    — Daniel Immerwahr, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026
  • 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
Definition of outrages
Noun
  • First seen at a night-club table of menacing lowlifes, Ida, whose mother tongue is Brooklynese, suddenly switches to a heavy British accent and dispenses a torrent of highly literary sarcasms.
    — Richard Brody, New Yorker, 4 Mar. 2026
Definition of sarcasms
Noun
  • Meanwhile, Amy’s parents, Birdie (Bailey) and Geoff (Jesson), navigate the indignities of getting older.
    — Clayton Davis, Variety, 5 Oct. 2026
  • For many of the indignities up on the screen were true to life.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of indignities

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affronting
affronts
aficionado
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Cite this Entry

“Affronts.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/affronts. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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