barbs

noun

plural of barb
as in insults
an act or expression showing scorn and usually intended to hurt another's feelings delivered one last barb to his ex-girlfriend as he stalked away

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 barbs The debate, which drew around 200 people to Grace Place in Berthoud, was largely made up of attacks — with Rutinel, a Democrat, and Evans, a Republican, trading barbs and accusations during the hourlong affair. — John Aguilar, Denver Post, 7 Oct. 2026 Her barbs are sharp enough to bring even Regina George to tears. — Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 29 Sep. 2026 But while politicians trade barbs, residents in Rio de Janeiro have been designing their own responses, with ex-traffickers launching podcasts and grieving mothers stepping up to stop youth recruitment. — ABC News, 27 Sep. 2026 But the teenage barbs didn’t only apply to Affleck’s romantic life. — Rachel McRady, PEOPLE, 25 Sep. 2026 If the tuft is real feathers, with barbs around a shaft, Gonzo sits on the lineage that produced theropod dinosaurs—two-legged carnivores like Tyrannosaurus—and eventually birds. — Niranjana Rajalakshmi, Popular Science, 24 Sep. 2026 The barbs in this race have become deeply personal, with anti-Muslim rhetoric taking center stage. — Christopher Buchanan, Los Angeles Times, 21 Sep. 2026 Plastic and silicone snakes often have barbs along the shaft. — Bestreviews, Mercury News, 17 Sep. 2026 The sheriff’s office said its investigation is ongoing, as the case draws national attention and political barbs. — Alisha Ebrahimji, CNN Money, 14 Sep. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for barbs
  1. insults
  2. sarcasms
Noun
  • In a round robin of insults, Proto blasted the incumbent Democratic senator who first won election in 2022.
    — Christopher Keating, Hartford Courant, 14 Oct. 2026
  • But even with such attitudinal strides, Pew Research shows that people’s fears about AI’s societal impact are high, and digital choirs hurl insults at any project featuring the tech.
    — Corbin Bolies, Variety, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of insults
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

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barbers
barbs
barcarole
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Cite this Entry

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

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