BITING Synonyms: 108 Similar and Opposite Words

biting 1 of 2

adjective

ˈbī-tiŋ

Definition of biting

as in bitter

causing intense discomfort to one's skin a biting wind that only the toughest football fans were willing to endure

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in sarcastic

marked by the use of wit that is intended to cause hurt feelings the biting comments by the pundits about the government's inaction

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

biting

2 of 2

verb

present participle of bite, informal + sometimes impolite

as in sucking

to be objectionable or unsatisfactory man, that really bites that you have to work on the weekend

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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 biting

Adjective

So Google isn’t trying to release more biting mosquitoes into neighborhoods. — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 12 June 2026 That raises concerns that in certain situations, the repellent may even begin to attract some biting insects. — Phaedra Trethan, USA Today, 4 June 2026

Verb

According to the Public Defender's Office, officers falsely claimed that Gibson had assaulted them by biting, punching, and wrapping a radio cord around an officer's neck, claims later refuted by video evidence. — Senior Editor, CBS News, 8 Oct. 2026 The big, biting burros are more than a match for a wolf, or two. — Jack Dolan, Los Angeles Times, 8 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for biting

Recent Examples of Synonyms for biting

Adjective

The second episode will examine her interventions on Scottish independence, feminism, free speech, and gender identity, which place her at the heart of increasingly bitter online exchanges.

— Jake Kanter, Deadline, 13 Oct. 2026
The incident inspired multiple memorial meme coins, forensic scrutiny of video footage, and bitter anti-Waymo sentiment.

— Molly Fischer, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026

Definition of bitter

Adjective

The interest has been driven largely by the brand's casual, sarcastic tone and active participation in online trends.

— Megan Sauer, CNBC, 13 Oct. 2026
Before the constant stream of sarcastic Ultron commentary wears out its welcome around the series’ halfway point, the bad guy’s brevity is a nice counterpoint to all of the sentient ennui.

— David Fear, Rolling Stone, 12 Oct. 2026

Definition of sarcastic

Verb

Among the hundreds of thousands of people who took to the streets in France on Tuesday were Paolina and Violette, eighteen and seventeen years old, arguing politely with a white-haired man sucking apple juice from a juice box.

— Lauren Collins, New Yorker, 9 Oct. 2026
Deadline has established that several top producers have declined to throw their hat into the ring, with many citing concerns about the lack of rights and the production contract sucking creative energy away from other projects.

— Max Goldbart, Deadline, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of sucking

Adjective

On its face, however, this inspirational message seems in sharp contrast to economic reality.

— Masood Ahmed, Fortune, 17 Oct. 2026
Bajaria’s foresight was sharper, investing in local language productions and building up Netflix’s global presence (almost two dozen international offices were opened during Bajaria’s reign).

— Matt Donnelly, Variety, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of sharp

Adjective

Minnesota Timberwolves player Anthony Edwards has brought back his satirical Believe That Awards, which went viral in 2025 — reaching 150 million cross-platform views — for crowning Timothée Chalamet white boy of the year.

— Selome Hailu, Variety, 15 Oct. 2026
The Cockroach movement began as an online satirical campaign this summer after India’s chief justice compared unemployed young people to parasites.

— ABC News, ABC News, 11 Oct. 2026

Definition of satiric

Adjective

Mungiu craftily plants the seed of this crisis in his opening shot, set in the aftermath of a stinging act of parental discipline.

— Justin Chang, New Yorker, 8 Oct. 2026
At an early New York screening, Douglas recalls Wall Street traders being stunned by the film’s stinging accuracy.

— Maddie Connors, Los Angeles Times, 5 Oct. 2026

Definition of stinging

Adjective

Attorneys for the country music icon’s estate claimed Seaver covered his front porch in barbed wire and yellow caution tape, thus delaying the formal delivery of the suit.

— Allison DeGrushe, StyleCaster, 6 Oct. 2026
Their long, barbed tongues can easily wind into ant and termite homes, licking up the bugs inside.

— Lauren Penington, Denver Post, 4 Oct. 2026

Definition of barbed

Adjective

There are two types of TBIs, penetrating and non-penetrating.

— Connie Etermadi, USA Today, 26 Aug. 2026
One spring day in Paris many years ago, my wife, Diana, a most penetrating photographer, capable of seeing like no one else, decided, as an experiment, to walk across the city blindfolded.

— Hisham Matar, Harper's Magazine, 2 Aug. 2024