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
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 target
Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 16 May 2026
McCullough found a target that will likely be one of his favorites this year in Follett, who caught a 20-yard pass in the first quarter.
—Chris Hays, The Orlando Sentinel, 16 May 2026
Law Murray, New York Times, 11 May 2026
Drone attacks target gulf Arab nations The fragile ceasefire was again tested Sunday when a drone ignited a small fire on a ship off Qatar, while the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait reported drones entering their airspace.
—Jon Gambrell, Los Angeles Times, 10 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for target
Noun
Collins admits to feeling a kinship with Simpson, who was the target of the tabloids of her day.
—Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 16 May 2026
McCullough found a target that will likely be one of his favorites this year in Follett, who caught a 20-yard pass in the first quarter.
—Chris Hays, The Orlando Sentinel, 16 May 2026
Verb
The Clippers don’t have a specific position in mind to target.
—Law Murray, New York Times, 11 May 2026
Drone attacks target gulf Arab nations The fragile ceasefire was again tested Sunday when a drone ignited a small fire on a ship off Qatar, while the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait reported drones entering their airspace.
—Jon Gambrell, Los Angeles Times, 10 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for target
Recent Examples of Synonyms for target
Noun
-
Employing a cast of non-professional locals, the film playfully interrogates the brutal but bungled occupation while also allowing its actors — many of whom are descendants of the fascists’ victims — to reinterpret and reclaim a chapter in their city’s past.—
Christopher Vourlias,
Variety,
15 May 2026
-
Not the only victim The Miami-Dade case is not the only time Readon has been accused by investigators of defrauding homeowners.—
Grethel Aguila,
Miami Herald,
15 May 2026
Noun
-
Just ask Harris, whose handling of the border under Biden became a running joke in politics.—
Burgess Everett,
semafor.com,
14 May 2026
-
Now, if there’s some people telling these jokes at a church service, that would be one thing.—
Théoden Janes,
Charlotte Observer,
14 May 2026
Noun
-
The company amassed a clean-energy portfolio that included one of the world’s largest solar power plants, and had set a goal of becoming the country’s biggest player in the space by 2030.—
Michael R. Sisak,
Los Angeles Times,
19 May 2026
-
What’s the end goal for the electric toothbrush?—
Caroline Rose Giuliani,
New Yorker,
19 May 2026
Verb
-
This time around, a serial stalker hunts down men and women alike, taunting them with videos filmed of them and rhyming texts, the detectives trying to track potential victims and save them before they’re killed.—
Paul Tassi,
Forbes.com,
16 May 2026
-
Heck, every club’s supporters were taunting them this way.—
Daniel Taylor,
New York Times,
14 May 2026
Noun
-
But for predatory species that need prey to eat, growing them in a lab is more challenging.—
Ashley Mackin Solomon,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
13 May 2026
-
As prey moved deeper or disappeared in warming waters, marine mammals were forced to travel farther and work harder to find food, leaving more stranded or in distress along the coast.—
Brandi D. Addison,
USA Today,
12 May 2026
Noun
-
Trying to control such speech or sanitize any possibility of offense, disagreement, or discomfort, will be a fool’s errand in a diverse democracy.—
Michael T. Nietzel,
Forbes.com,
18 May 2026
-
The king, the fool — there are so many parallels for me.—
Scott Roxborough,
HollywoodReporter,
17 May 2026
Noun
-
The aim is to bring more advanced detection capabilities into everyday communication channels where most people actually interact, such as messaging apps, email, and online platforms.—
Lyssanoel Frater,
USA Today,
14 May 2026
-
Raman and Miller took aim at Inside Safe.—
Luzdelia Caballero,
CBS News,
14 May 2026
Verb
-
The attorney for a businessman accused of harassing an endangered Hawaiian monk seal is publicly defending his client after a viral video captured the incident and sparked outrage online.—
Michael Sinkewicz,
FOXNews.com,
18 May 2026
-
Lytvynchuk is charged with harassing and attempting to harass an endangered Hawaiian monk seal.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
14 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Target.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/target. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
