How to Use caustic in a Sentence

caustic

adjective
  • The chemical was so caustic that it ate through the pipes.
  • She wrote a caustic report about the decisions that led to the crisis.
  • Of course, caustic rhetoric is as old as the country.
    — Bart Jansen, USA Today, 22 Feb. 2026
  • She’s then forced to balance her own wants with those of her caustic client.
    — Courtney Howard, Variety, 1 Dec. 2022
  • His pictures are as caustic as their acrid green backgrounds.
    — Washington Post, 24 Dec. 2021
  • Between the layers of shell, the cashew’s nut oils are caustic.
    — Melissa Howell, Quartz, 29 Oct. 2019
  • Sorkin’s humor is cerebral, all caustic wit and clever asides.
    — Meredith Blake, Los Angeles Times, 22 Dec. 2021
  • Bouchard then showered to wash the caustic substance off her body and left for the evening.
    — Ben Rothenberg, New York Times, 21 Feb. 2018
  • One of the dogs had her eye gouged out and the other was forced to drink a caustic liquid.
    — Debbi Baker, sandiegouniontribune.com, 1 June 2017
  • Trump’s comments rank as the most openly caustic.
    — Josh Campbell, CNN Money, 29 Mar. 2026
  • At the center of it all was Barr herself and her caustic wit.
    — Mike Scott, NOLA.com, 17 May 2017
  • Meanwhile, two of the plays set later in time border on satire in their caustic wit.
    — Jake Lamar, The New Republic, 14 Jan. 2021
  • But this agent was difficult to make, caustic and often smelly.
    — Ben Panko, Smithsonian, 21 June 2017
  • But this agent was difficult to make, caustic and often smelly.
    — Ben Panko, Smithsonian, 20 June 2017
  • They didn’t get caught in fires or exposed to caustic chemicals.
    — Sam Kean, Science | AAAS, 2 July 2021
  • For some, this caustic but not wholly unkind film suggests, that’s just about enough.
    — Guy Lodge, Variety, 29 Aug. 2021
  • How does the love at the heart of fandom curdle into something so caustic?
    — Adam Rogers, WIRED, 6 June 2018
  • The locals can be caustic about attempts by the ultra-rich to save the planet.
    — Sandra Dallas, The Denver Post, 20 Mar. 2020
  • The mass of the two black holes could also be encoded into the caustic curve.
    — Keith Cooper, Space.com, 24 Feb. 2026
  • Some of the most caustic and aware songwriting on this album is about herself.
    — Lars Brandle, Billboard, 10 Nov. 2017
  • The reaction creates a caustic spray to ward off would-be predators.
    — Jason Daley, Smithsonian, 21 Feb. 2018
  • Sodium hydroxide, or lye, is a strong base and, in its dry from, a caustic substance.
    — New York Times, 13 May 2021
  • The waxy leaves and many, rapidly dividing bulbs, plus caustic sap, make this plant very hard to manage.
    — oregonlive, 26 Mar. 2023
  • Many in law enforcement have seen a rise in caustic rhetoric by current and former colleagues.
    — Jaweed Kaleem, Los Angeles Times, 15 Jan. 2021
  • The Sweet Dove Died is more caustic than anything else Pym wrote.
    — Literary Hub, 15 Sep. 2025
  • Balls of caustic residue were observed burning on the ground after rising to the surface.
    — Sam Roberts, BostonGlobe.com, 25 Apr. 2018
  • Balls of caustic residue were observed burning on the ground after rising to the surface.
    — Sam Roberts, New York Times, 23 Apr. 2018
  • Known as a caustic renegade, Davis was one of the first outspoken owners in sports.
    — The Si Staff, SI.com, 28 Aug. 2019
  • His caustic commentary has caused a furor in the current race for president.
    — Elvia Limón, Los Angeles Times, 28 July 2023
  • Some of their letters tried too hard to be funny, and were caustic-sounding, masking awful hurt.
    — Douglas Stuart, The New Yorker, 6 Jan. 2020

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'caustic.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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