targets 1 of 2

noun

plural of target
1
as in victims
a person or thing that is the object of abuse, criticism, or ridicule the hapless vice president quickly became the favorite target of late-night comedians

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2
as in jokes
a person or thing that is made fun of a badly made TV commercial that became the target of lots of jokes

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in goals
something that one hopes or intends to accomplish our target is to raise $100,000 for a new playground by August

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targets

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of target
as in taunts

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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 targets
Noun
Over 43,300 Ukrainian drones were intercepted over Russia and illegally annexed Crimea in June, July and August, according to Defense Ministry data compiled by The Associated Press, although some clearly hit their targets. — ABC News, 3 Sep. 2026 Two of Newcastle’s top summer targets went elsewhere, despite deals being in place for both. — Chris Waugh, New York Times, 3 Sep. 2026 Beijing allegedly uses the information to further its position in territorial disputes and provide maritime reconnaissance and early-warning indications of foreign military targets. — Glenn Taylor, Footwear News, 3 Sep. 2026 Ukraine has successfully struck Russian cities, energy infrastructure, industrial base targets, logistics nodes, and military bases without incurring a nuclear response from the Kremlin. — Seth G. Jones, Foreign Affairs, 3 Sep. 2026 Over 43,300 Ukrainian drones were intercepted over Russia and illegally annexed Crimea in June, July and August, according to Defense Ministry data compiled by the Associated Press, although some clearly hit their targets. — Dasha Litvinova, Los Angeles Times, 3 Sep. 2026 That benchmark targets increasingly difficult forms of abstract reasoning. — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 3 Sep. 2026 Among the targets of those criticisms was the process in which the contract for Flock was approved, which does not require the typical bidding process the city undertakes. — David Clarey, jsonline.com, 3 Sep. 2026 While mega-cap pharma companies typically look to invest in assets that offer peak sales in the billions of dollars, Gayer has smaller targets in mind. — Brad Quick, CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for targets
  1. victims
  2. jokes
  3. goals
  4. taunts
  5. prey
  6. fools
  7. purposes
  8. baits
Noun
  • Four people with wounds were transported to Hennepin Healthcare to be treated for their injuries, where one of the victims died, Parten said Wednesday afternoon.
    — Angel Saunders, PEOPLE, 3 Sep. 2026
  • The victims were identified as Michael Newman, 41, and Stephen Scott, 28, reported the Oklahoman, part of the USA TODAY Network.
    — Josh Kelly, USA Today, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of victims
Noun
  • There was nothing particularly novel about the show’s premise, but the scripts were refreshingly dense with jokes, prioritizing laughs over contrived drama or seasonlong relationship arcs.
    — Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 28 Aug. 2026
  • The order, which directs federal officials to formalize the name change within 30 days, quickly sparked backlash, jokes and parody proposals.
    — Gabe Hauari, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of jokes
Noun
  • Boise’s City Council on Tuesday denied an appeal from the Cathedral of the Rockies seeking to pave a parking area adjacent to its North End church, dealing a blow to an application that pit arguments of religious freedom against municipal goals.
    — Mark Dee, Idaho Statesman, 3 Sep. 2026
  • One of the goals behind the Lele pop-up for Uditi, who grew up in Caserta, outside of Naples, was to highlight the cuisine of his native Campania.
    — Margy Rochlin, Los Angeles Times, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of goals
Verb
  • Continue reading … -- POLITICS 'BAD LOOK' – Newsom's attack dog taunts Buttigieg over South Carolina visit as 2028 fight heats up.
    — , FOXNews.com, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Trump routinely mocks Newsom and refers to the governor using a derogatory nickname, while Newsom taunts the president with frequent social media posts.
    — Darlene Superville, Fortune, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of taunts
Noun
  • That allowed sea water to infiltrate freshwater tributaries across the peninsula, especially in lagoons and deltas where clam and mussel farms provided ample prey.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Dolphins are versatile predators that adjust their diet based on local prey availability, Callan said.
    — Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of prey
Noun
  • Pace, skill, a vicious shot, the ability to make opposition defenders look like fools.
    — James Horncastle, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2026
  • This is an ignoble war making monsters and fools out of its participants, and against the uncontrollable weapons that are dragons, everyone’s resolve is crumbling.
    — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 18 June 2026
Definition of fools
Noun
  • By the end of Saturday night, the sanctuary had served two purposes at once.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 3 Sep. 2026
  • The other scan—the spatial scan—employs a less powerful instrument called an Xgrid Portalcam, and serves several different purposes.
    — Margherita Bassi, Popular Science, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of purposes
Verb
  • First, Verbruggen baits Joao Pedro, who abandons Olivier Boscagli.
    — Jon Mackenzie, New York Times, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Specialty carp baits and tackle drive a large portion of the European recreational fishing industries sales.
    — Joe Cermele, Outdoor Life, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of baits

Browse Nearby Words

targeting
targets
tariff
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Cite this Entry

“Targets.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/targets. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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