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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of mordant
Separated by interstitial shots of Cluj’s ahistorical new architecture, these long and static confessional scenes are spiked with Jude’s recognizably mordant wit, their dialogue timely enough to distract from the feeling of shooting fish in a barrel.
—
David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 19 Feb. 2025
The Pornographer is a riposte to the banning of The Dark, a very mordant kind of revenge.
—Sam Sacks, Harper's Magazine, 2 Jan. 2025
There’s mordant wit, too, in the fact that this woman’s liberation is wholly enabled by a man’s rash murder.
—Guy Lodge, Variety, 9 Oct. 2024
Like much of the Coens’ work, these are tragedies tinged with mordant humor and punctuated by the bleakest twists of fate.
—Sezin Devi Keohler, EW.com, 29 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mordant
David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 19 Feb. 2025
The Pornographer is a riposte to the banning of The Dark, a very mordant kind of revenge.
—Sam Sacks, Harper's Magazine, 2 Jan. 2025
There’s mordant wit, too, in the fact that this woman’s liberation is wholly enabled by a man’s rash murder.
—Guy Lodge, Variety, 9 Oct. 2024
Like much of the Coens’ work, these are tragedies tinged with mordant humor and punctuated by the bleakest twists of fate.
—Sezin Devi Keohler, EW.com, 29 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mordant
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mordant
Adjective
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The poem is part love quest, part account of Italy’s battles; in places profoundly serious, in places satiric.—
The New Yorker,
New Yorker,
11 June 2025
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Neither damning nor satiric, W. is oddly wistful, almost regretful — rare sentiments in a Stone film.—
Will Leitch,
Vulture,
17 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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And as trade speculation has risen, Harris reported a sarcastic one-word retort from the pitcher.—
Peter Chawaga,
MSNBC Newsweek,
28 July 2025
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Their dynamic is not entirely unlike that of the upstart Nomi and established Cristal in Showgirls or the sarcastic Devon and beatific Michaela in Sirens: On one hand, Sophie wants to be as confident and self-possessed as Margo, as comfortable in her own skin and her desires.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
22 July 2025
Adjective
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From lo-fi hip-hop to chamber pop, from acid funk to orchestral rock, the fingerprints remain.—
Philip Martin,
Arkansas Online,
15 June 2025
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The floors are done in chestnut-toned wood, with acid green carpets made from bamboo silk, while the VVIP suite has its own private sitting room.—
Samantha Conti,
Footwear News,
11 June 2025
Adjective
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In oxygen-rich soil, microbes thrive, contributing to decay, and acidic pH levels erode natural materials like leather.—
Kameryn Griesser,
CNN Money,
12 July 2025
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The sharp, slightly sour sauce brought the fries back to life with an acidic, satisfying kick.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
10 July 2025
Adjective
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Ivor checked it, and then spotted the line of barbed wire threaded through the scrub.—
Anne Enright,
New Yorker,
27 July 2025
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That speculative element is teased right there in the title: One of God’s best and brightest has been knocked from heaven by war’s tumult and is caught in a thatch of barbed wire.—
Ben H. Winters,
New York Times,
26 July 2025
Adjective
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The Senate will begin voting on President Donald Trump’s sweeping bill on tax cuts, Medicaid and border security, after a marathon weekend of caustic debate and political maneuvering, but the result isn’t known for certain.—
Bart Jansen,
USA Today,
1 July 2025
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Our protagonist is a chipper, idiot honey bear with a caustic, mean-spirited bird stuffed in his backpack.—
Luke Winkie,
Vulture,
18 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Mordant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mordant. Accessed 6 Aug. 2025.
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