as in satiric
marked by the use of wit that is intended to cause hurt feelings
a mordant review of the movie that compared it to having one's teeth pulled for two hours
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Recent Examples of mordant
His conversation is astringent; his mordant wit softens into easy laughter.
—
Lizz Schumer, PEOPLE, 21 Oct. 2025
That may have been Winter’s intention — there’s also more than a whiff of the Coen brothers figuring into all the mordant mayhem — but the execution proves trickier to pull off for a sustained period.
—Michael Rechtshaffen, HollywoodReporter, 12 Sep. 2025
Mikkelsen, in one of the most tender performances of his career, and Sloan, whose expressive eyes stay impossibly wide for the duration of the film, craft an easy chemistry together, his mordant humor matching hers like a glove.
—Marya E. Gates, IndieWire, 9 Sep. 2025
Phoebe Greenwood’s novel, Vulture, conjures up this world with mordant humor and breathtaking immediacy.
—Book Marks
august 28, Literary Hub, 28 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mordant
Lizz Schumer, PEOPLE, 21 Oct. 2025
That may have been Winter’s intention — there’s also more than a whiff of the Coen brothers figuring into all the mordant mayhem — but the execution proves trickier to pull off for a sustained period.
—Michael Rechtshaffen, HollywoodReporter, 12 Sep. 2025
Mikkelsen, in one of the most tender performances of his career, and Sloan, whose expressive eyes stay impossibly wide for the duration of the film, craft an easy chemistry together, his mordant humor matching hers like a glove.
—Marya E. Gates, IndieWire, 9 Sep. 2025
Phoebe Greenwood’s novel, Vulture, conjures up this world with mordant humor and breathtaking immediacy.
—Book Marks
august 28, Literary Hub, 28 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mordant
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mordant
Adjective
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Among them is a memoir by Kennedy’s wife, Cheryl Hines, and a satirical book about Fauci by Robert Kennedy III.—
Tom Bartlett,
The Atlantic,
5 Apr. 2026
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Dayle’s satirical novel follows a white flag-bearer pretending to be a Black soldier during the Civil War.—
Mike Danahey,
Chicago Tribune,
2 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Doncic held both arms aloft in sarcastic celebration.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
1 Apr. 2026
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As for the time difference, Shanahan was sarcastic with his response to the San Francisco Chronicle.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
30 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Plants like blueberries, roses, tomatoes, hydrangeas, and azaleas, in particular, are acid and nitrogen lovers.—
Asia London Palomba,
The Spruce,
2 Apr. 2026
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Some of the movie is an acid satire of pre-wedding rituals — like the first dance that Charlie and Emma are dutifully rehearsing for, with a ridiculously stern taskmaster of a coach.—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
31 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The acidic composition of white vinegar works efficiently to break down the film that can accumulate on your windows.—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Kansas City Star,
30 Mar. 2026
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That’s thanks to a confluence of factors, not least of which is advancing can liner technology that make acidic beverages, like wine, more stable inside the package.—
Kate Bernot,
Outside,
30 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
-
Hester is a caustic yet irresistible narrator, and this evocation of her journey across America reads as both hate mail and love letter to a complex country.—
Gabrielle Bellot,
Literary Hub,
30 Mar. 2026
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Trump’s comments rank as the most openly caustic.—
Josh Campbell,
CNN Money,
29 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Mordant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mordant. Accessed 7 Apr. 2026.
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