1
as in victim
a person or thing that is the object of abuse, criticism, or ridicule
the hapless vice president quickly became the favorite target of late-night comedians
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in joke
a person or thing that is made fun of
a badly made TV commercial that became the target of lots of jokes
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in goal
something that one hopes or intends to accomplish
our target is to raise $100,000 for a new playground by August
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to taunt
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of target
ABC News, 5 Apr. 2026
The best form of defense is attack These would, in theory, overwhelm and degrade radar and air defenses, paving the way for a follow-up strike using missiles to hit key targets.
—Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 4 Apr. 2026
Azhar Sukri, CNBC, 22 Mar. 2026
Iran responded by threatening to target energy facilities and water desalination plants across the region.
—J.d. Capelouto, semafor.com, 22 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for target
Noun
The Whitecaps had 61% possession and outshot Portland 21-9, 9-4 on target.
—ABC News, 5 Apr. 2026
The best form of defense is attack These would, in theory, overwhelm and degrade radar and air defenses, paving the way for a follow-up strike using missiles to hit key targets.
—Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 4 Apr. 2026
Verb
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf promised on Sunday to target regional energy facilities if his country’s power plants are hit.
—Azhar Sukri, CNBC, 22 Mar. 2026
Iran responded by threatening to target energy facilities and water desalination plants across the region.
—J.d. Capelouto, semafor.com, 22 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for target
Recent Examples of Synonyms for target
Noun
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Some of the victims had been wearing backpacks equipped with airbags that can help keep people on the surface of an avalanche, but had not pulled the cords to deploy the bags, the report said.—
Ethan Baron,
Mercury News,
4 Apr. 2026
-
Responding officers discovered that the victim suffered from wounds to his head and body and also found a bloody hammer.—
DeJanay Booth-Singleton,
CBS News,
4 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
No this is not a joke…Retro Weather Channel is officially back!—
Tony Maglio,
HollywoodReporter,
2 Apr. 2026
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The response to the outcry led to even more jokes online.—
Bennett Conlin,
Baltimore Sun,
2 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Hosting the biggest weekend in college basketball would be ideal, Orr and Wood of Sacramento State said, a goal shared by Visit Sacramento.—
Joe Davidson,
Sacbee.com,
31 Mar. 2026
-
In 73 career regular-season games with the Sirens and Ottawa Charge, Roese has accumulated 25 points (3 goals, 22 assists).—
Twin Cities,
Twin Cities,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Instead, the President taunted America’s allies, some of whom had been pleading for a settlement over Hormuz.—
Benjamin Wallace-Wells,
New Yorker,
3 Apr. 2026
-
The hawks are practically taunting the populists for their lack of influence.—
Jonathan Chait,
The Atlantic,
25 Mar. 2026
Noun
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This year, the unusually warm weather in March, plant abundance and a healthy amount of prey were early signals to rattlesnakes to begin their activity.—
Karen Garcia,
Los Angeles Times,
1 Apr. 2026
-
Noise could disrupt the whales’ foraging behavior, while increased global warming — tied to the burning of fossil fuels, including oil and gas — could change where their prey fish live, Kiszka said.—
Tammy Webber,
Fortune,
31 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Any one of 162 games is less a sample size than a glance, and fool’s gold is ever present.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
31 Mar. 2026
-
Don’t let the recent rain fool you.—
Ashley Miznazi,
Miami Herald,
31 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Energy derived from replenishable sources such as solar, wind, and hydroelectric aim to reduce externalities tied to fossil fuels.—
byLaura Payne,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
2 Apr. 2026
-
The aim of the new institution will be to foster dialogues within the contemporary art community located in the larger Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.—
News Desk,
Artforum,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Nordquist says the suspect has been harassing her and other residents for weeks.—
Kayla Moeller,
CBS News,
30 Mar. 2026
-
One in six says staff have been harassed in church.—
Ed Gaskin,
Boston Herald,
29 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Target.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/target. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
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