as in to taunt
to attack repeatedly with mean put-downs or insults
the players were heckled by disappointed fans
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 heckle
The egret was so loud that the blind music great thought he was being heckled by an audience member and briefly stopped in mid-song.
—
George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Mar. 2026
In the couple days since the Internet began to heckle McDonald's CEO Chris Kempczinski for his less-than-convincing endorsement of the new Big Arch burger and then Burger King's sassy (shady) response, Wendy's has stepped up to the plate.
—Amaris Encinas, USA Today, 4 Mar. 2026
As the vote drew close, community members repeatedly heckled councilmembers and shouted complaints, leading Rowland to threaten to clear out the room.
—Ilana Arougheti, Kansas City Star, 3 Mar. 2026
Jeff Probst heckling contestants during challenges.
—Kristen Geil, Outside, 24 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for heckle
George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Mar. 2026
In the couple days since the Internet began to heckle McDonald's CEO Chris Kempczinski for his less-than-convincing endorsement of the new Big Arch burger and then Burger King's sassy (shady) response, Wendy's has stepped up to the plate.
—Amaris Encinas, USA Today, 4 Mar. 2026
As the vote drew close, community members repeatedly heckled councilmembers and shouted complaints, leading Rowland to threaten to clear out the room.
—Ilana Arougheti, Kansas City Star, 3 Mar. 2026
Jeff Probst heckling contestants during challenges.
—Kristen Geil, Outside, 24 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for heckle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for heckle
Verb
-
Cellphone video posted by Jada's aunt on social media shows Jada and another girl yelling and taunting each other while standing a good distance apart.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
12 Mar. 2026
-
And they were taunted by the protesters, getting abused for no reason.—
Emma Rosenblum,
Curbed,
12 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The film, based on a true story that became a media sensation in the '80s, never renders a definitive judgment on von Bülow (who was acquitted in court), leaving him an indelible enigma that Irons teases but never tells.—
Devan Coggan,
Entertainment Weekly,
15 Mar. 2026
-
Rivian has been teasing the R2 for a while now, dangling the promise of a smaller, cheaper, more attainable version of its beloved R1S in front of adventure-hungry buyers who couldn’t quite stretch to the $77,000-plus sticker of its halo SUV.—
Kevin Sintumuang,
Outside,
13 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The film follows a clown, consumed by a desperate need for validation, who accepts a private booking, expecting a children’s party — only to discover his audience is a group of millennials and Gen Z adults who openly mock his performance.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
18 Mar. 2026
-
The company twisted the knife with Super Bowl ads mocking OpenAI’s slop, and Altman fired back, sniping that Anthropic wanted to be the traffic cop of AI.—
Joe Hagan,
Vanity Fair,
18 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Heckle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/heckle. Accessed 22 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
