Thesaurus results for TAUNTING

taunting 1 of 2

adjective

as in mocking

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taunting

2 of 2

verb

present participle of taunt

as in teasing

to attack repeatedly with mean put-downs or insults the principal reminded the student athletes that taunting their opponents was not showing good sportsmanship

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 taunting

Verb

Last week, Greenlaw was fined $11,941 for unsportsmanlike conduct after taunting the Broncos' sideline and head coach Sean Payton. — Armando Salguero Outkick, FOXNews.com, 12 Oct. 2026 Greenlaw was fined $11,941 for taunting the Broncos’ sideline in a win last week. — ABC News, 12 Oct. 2026 After jawing with Oregon players, the junior linebacker was seen taunting the Oregon sideline and celebrating on his way back to USC’s side of the field. — Ryan Kartje, Los Angeles Times, 30 Sep. 2026 Afroman went on to publish songs and music videos taunting the deputies, including one called Lemon Pound Cake that mocked the portly deputy for his apparent interest in the cake. — Andrew Graham, Sacbee.com, 22 Sep. 2026 At Texas Tech, an undergraduate was arrested after taunting a Kirk mourner. — Benjamin Wofford, New Yorker, 21 Sep. 2026 And nipped any indication that Williams was taunting the 45-year-old coach in the bud. — Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 14 Sep. 2026 The big house sat clear, taunting their one‑room shack with its size, her children somewhere swallowed in the expansiveness of the land. — Literary Hub, 2 Sep. 2026 Cunningham’s highlights are hard fouls, a few 3-pointers, taunting, serving as a ring girl at a UFC fight, her sense of humor, and now commentary that has a Fox flair. — Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 20 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for taunting

Adjective

To get a sense of his whole deal, look no further than the half-mocking, half-earnest title of his latest album, Country!

— Jonathan Bernstein, Rolling Stone, 23 Sep. 2025

Definition of mocking

Verb

Mahomes began teasing the collection last week with several posts on her Instagram.

— Lisa Gutierrez, Kansas City Star, 15 Oct. 2026
As part of the panel, co-showrunners and executive producers Alex Kurtzman and Noga Landau introduced a new clip teasing the second season, alongside series cast members Holly Hunter, Sandro Rosta, Bella Shepard, Karim Diané and Robert Picardo.

— Abbey White, HollywoodReporter, 10 Oct. 2026

Definition of teasing

Adjective

And yes, the previous sentence is intended as both complimentary and derisive.

— Andy Behrens, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026
According to Elsas, the name began as a slight — a derisive label used by a Northern newspaper reporter to mock the poor Scots-Irish mill workers who lived in the neighborhood during a headline-grabbing labor strike.

— Brian Unger, CBS News, 12 Aug. 2026

Definition of derisive

Adjective

There was also an August 2024 incident at Fenway when Duran hurled a homophobic slur at a heckling fan.

— Greg Dudek, Hartford Courant, 28 June 2026
Charles Barkley was once spitting mad at a heckling fan, and his expectoration wound up splashing on an 8-year-old girl.

— Jon Greenberg, New York Times, 22 May 2026

Definition of heckling

Adjective

These were actors who may have earlier been needling at or attempting to push my boundaries.

— Todd Martens, Los Angeles Times, 18 Sep. 2026
But for those who find (and in some cases may be slightly mystified as to why) that there is a nagging, needling value to Schrader’s ongoing project of tussling with grandiose dilemmas of transgression and deliverance, there is some new news here.

— Jessica Kiang, Variety, 4 Sep. 2026

Definition of needling

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

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Synonyms of taunting

adjective

verb

Example Sentences

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