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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
Newsom has trolled Trump for months with social media barbs, delighting some Democratic loyalists who have pushed party leaders and potential 2028 candidates to take a harder line.
—
Dave Goldiner, Mercury News, 20 Jan. 2026
In fairness, even Amorim sidestepped the barbs of Keane.
—Laurie Whitwell, New York Times, 16 Jan. 2026
Ben leaves, too, leaving Phyllis and Rhoda to exchange barbs.
—Angela Andaloro, PEOPLE, 15 Jan. 2026
Surfers have been out in great numbers at this popular surf spot, thanks to smallish surf, somewhat warm water — by winter standards — and sunny skies after days of rain, meaning more beachgoers came across the stingrays and their pointy barbs.
—Laylan Connelly, Oc Register, 13 Jan. 2026
The House Oversight Committee’s first hearing on the Minnesota fraud scandal was complete with lawmakers pointing fingers and exchanging barbs in heated exchanges.
—Lauren Green, The Washington Examiner, 8 Jan. 2026
Gizelle and Stacey continue to throw barbs at each other.
—Shamira Ibrahim, Vulture, 5 Jan. 2026
The race has been marked by barbs between Huffman and Wambsganss, as both try to win over the conservative vote, and flowing money, as billionaires waded into the North Texas election.
—Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Nov. 2025
There is a host of information like temperature (red line), dewpoint (green line), winds (barbs on the right), stability information (useful for storm potential), and precipitable water (helpful in assessing flood potential).
—Marshall Shepherd, Forbes, 21 Mar. 2025
Dave Goldiner, Mercury News, 20 Jan. 2026
In fairness, even Amorim sidestepped the barbs of Keane.
—Laurie Whitwell, New York Times, 16 Jan. 2026
Ben leaves, too, leaving Phyllis and Rhoda to exchange barbs.
—Angela Andaloro, PEOPLE, 15 Jan. 2026
Surfers have been out in great numbers at this popular surf spot, thanks to smallish surf, somewhat warm water — by winter standards — and sunny skies after days of rain, meaning more beachgoers came across the stingrays and their pointy barbs.
—Laylan Connelly, Oc Register, 13 Jan. 2026
The House Oversight Committee’s first hearing on the Minnesota fraud scandal was complete with lawmakers pointing fingers and exchanging barbs in heated exchanges.
—Lauren Green, The Washington Examiner, 8 Jan. 2026
Gizelle and Stacey continue to throw barbs at each other.
—Shamira Ibrahim, Vulture, 5 Jan. 2026
The race has been marked by barbs between Huffman and Wambsganss, as both try to win over the conservative vote, and flowing money, as billionaires waded into the North Texas election.
—Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Nov. 2025
There is a host of information like temperature (red line), dewpoint (green line), winds (barbs on the right), stability information (useful for storm potential), and precipitable water (helpful in assessing flood potential).
—Marshall Shepherd, Forbes, 21 Mar. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for barbs
insults
Noun
-
Rockrohr used both sides of this visual coin, telling of groundwork done by the late Harry Teshima to bring Black residents into the community and tales of lasting friendships and stories of insults thrown at Black students.—
Jerry Shnay,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Feb. 2026
-
The scuffles came amid an already intense night, with tensions fueled by a brutal press conference on Thursday for the title fight between Lopez and Stevenson, during which the boxers exchanged insults about each other’s family members.—
Jessica Schladebeck,
New York Daily News,
31 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Barbs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/barbs. Accessed 4 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
