as in insult
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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of barb
Democratic and Republican leaders have traded barbs over whom or what is to blame in this case — and for violence nationwide.
—
Holly Yan, CNN Money, 10 Sep. 2025
Coel, the boundary-pushing revelation from I May Destroy You, is a perfect foil, hiding Lori’s feelings behind her deadpan delivery, unblinking sphinx-like stare and wary body language but poised to shoot barbs when the moment calls for them.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 9 Sep. 2025
See it In London, United Kingdom, a fishery employee discovered a rosy barb, a popular aquarium pet, in a pond at Golders Hill Park.
—Real-Time News Team, Miami Herald, 5 Sep. 2025
In more recent years, fleeting trends and other fashion antics sometimes sidetracked Armani, especially on the runway, where aviator hats or tricky pants — from bloomers to loose, low-crotch styles — won him barbs from critics.
—Luisa Zargani, Footwear News, 4 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for barb
Holly Yan, CNN Money, 10 Sep. 2025
Coel, the boundary-pushing revelation from I May Destroy You, is a perfect foil, hiding Lori’s feelings behind her deadpan delivery, unblinking sphinx-like stare and wary body language but poised to shoot barbs when the moment calls for them.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 9 Sep. 2025
See it In London, United Kingdom, a fishery employee discovered a rosy barb, a popular aquarium pet, in a pond at Golders Hill Park.
—Real-Time News Team, Miami Herald, 5 Sep. 2025
In more recent years, fleeting trends and other fashion antics sometimes sidetracked Armani, especially on the runway, where aviator hats or tricky pants — from bloomers to loose, low-crotch styles — won him barbs from critics.
—Luisa Zargani, Footwear News, 4 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for barb
Recent Examples of Synonyms for barb
Noun
-
Jokes can offend, annoy, insult or fall flat.—
Diane Brady,
Fortune,
19 Sep. 2025
-
The New York Times reported this phrase is a common insult across the internet.—
Ella Gonzales,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
18 Sep. 2025
Noun
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However, the sarcasm was lost on younger social media users who claimed to attempt it.—
Ashleigh N. DeLuca,
Parents,
16 Sep. 2025
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The video’s comment section is filled with sarcasm.—
Kaif Shaikh,
Interesting Engineering,
16 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Barb.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/barb. Accessed 20 Sep. 2025.
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