1
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
2
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
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of biting
Matthias Matthijs, Foreign Affairs, 12 Dec. 2025
The non-biting midge resembles a rice grain and survives in damp moss and algae along the Antarctic Peninsula.
—Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 10 Dec. 2025
Robert Lang, Deadline, 31 Mar. 2026
In July 2024, City Councilwoman Susan Zhuang was arrested for allegedly biting an NYPD chief during a rally.
—Jennifer Bisram, CBS News, 30 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for biting
Adjective
France and Spain, by contrast, have centrist or center-left governments and favored a harder line and more biting retaliatory tariffs.
—Matthias Matthijs, Foreign Affairs, 12 Dec. 2025
The non-biting midge resembles a rice grain and survives in damp moss and algae along the Antarctic Peninsula.
—Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 10 Dec. 2025
Verb
Conner’s deep ties to American counterculture—from the 1950s Beat poets to the punk scenes of the 1970s and 80s—infused his work with a biting wit and revolutionary spirit.
—Robert Lang, Deadline, 31 Mar. 2026
In July 2024, City Councilwoman Susan Zhuang was arrested for allegedly biting an NYPD chief during a rally.
—Jennifer Bisram, CBS News, 30 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for biting
Recent Examples of Synonyms for biting
Adjective
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Prices run from €16 for a burrata cheese and tomato bruschetta to €25 for foie gras with bitter marmalade.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
31 Mar. 2026
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Schottenheimer’s latest comments inject optimism and a sense of patience from the Cowboys’ sideline, pushing back against speculation of a bitter standoff or imminent trade.—
Rowan Fisher-Shotton,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Doncic held both arms aloft in sarcastic celebration.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
1 Apr. 2026
-
As for the time difference, Shanahan was sarcastic with his response to the San Francisco Chronicle.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Are there ways to prevent ticks from sucking on his body?—
Jane Sykes,
Washington Post,
30 Mar. 2026
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Though the Democratic primary for the 7th Congressional District may be sucking up much of the political oxygen within Indianapolis, Republican voters on the south side of the city will have their own choices to make.—
Marissa Meador,
IndyStar,
30 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The first was a gentle bell curve; the second was a jagged line, with two sharp peaks—one on the left, the other on the right.—
Eyal Press,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
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The 5-foot-9 rookie infielder looks like a special hitter with sharp instincts on the basepaths.—
Tom Krasovic,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
29 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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As journalism scholar Paul Alonso writes, looking at two cases from South America, sometimes satirical media takes up the slack.—
Livia Gershon,
JSTOR Daily,
27 Mar. 2026
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Since its premiere, the show has received critical acclaim for Smart and Einbender’s performances, as well as its satirical look at the ins and outs of show business.—
Wilson Chapman,
IndieWire,
23 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Beekeeping Frisco businessman Nate Sheets had a comfortable lead over three-term Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller in a heated Republican primary Tuesday after roughly half the votes were tallied, a stinging initial victory in a race roiled by an unusual split at the top of the GOP.—
Lilly Kersh,
Dallas Morning News,
3 Mar. 2026
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The most stinging examples involved longtime partner and close personal friend Ryan Lindgren, and more recently, Panarin.—
Vincent Z. Mercogliano,
New York Times,
2 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Tangled pieces of barbed wire, reams of rubble and fallen concrete scarred the skyline in Karaj, western Iran, on Friday, after the US military bombed a major new bridge under construction.—
Leila Gharagozlou,
CNN Money,
3 Apr. 2026
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The fuzzy-looking crawlers can cause irritation and a rash to anyone whose skin comes in direct contact with the barbed hairs that cover the caterpillar.—
Rachel Raposas,
PEOPLE,
31 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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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
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Since the war began in Gaza, more than six months ago, the Israeli magazine +972 has published some of the most penetrating reporting on the Israel Defense Forces’ conduct.—
Isaac Chotiner,
The New Yorker,
12 Apr. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Biting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/biting. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
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