barbs

noun

plural of barb
as in insults
an act or expression showing scorn and usually intended to hurt another's feelings delivered one last barb to his ex-girlfriend as he stalked away

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 barbs Its barbs are muddy brown with faint metallic highlights. — Douglas Goodwin, The Conversation, 1 June 2026 Pledges of a united front fade as the booze flows and the barbs get sharper and sharper. — Greg Evans, Deadline, 1 June 2026 And in his second term, the leaders now openly trade barbs, disagreeing over tariffs, Ukraine and the Iran war. — Darlene Superville, Los Angeles Times, 12 June 2026 Always check the rules in conservation trout water and be prepared to mash barbs or swap your treble hooks with single hooks to stay compliant. — Joe Cermele, Outdoor Life, 17 June 2026 The tenacious ex–Special Forces vet can be found tracking killers and trading barbs with his partner Jerry (Jamie Hector) in this long-running series drawn from Michael Connelly’s crime novels. — Matt Cabral, Entertainment Weekly, 15 June 2026 The candidates in the crowded field have traded barbs about Bores’ supposed ties to Big Tech and outside groups have poured millions into the race both supporting and opposing his proposals to regulate artificial intelligence. — Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 20 June 2026 Young, who was traded to the Washington Wizards in January, is no stranger to trading barbs on social media with New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani. — Chantz Martin Outkick, FOXNews.com, 17 June 2026 In a decision about gun regulations, Alito and Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson traded barbs about whether historical gun laws that discriminated against Black people were relevant to the case. — Maureen Groppe, USA Today, 26 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for barbs
  1. insults
  2. sarcasms
Noun
  • Hurling insults and a general dismissiveness is in, or at least tolerated.
    — Steve Buckley, New York Times, 2 July 2026
  • But back in February when the court ruled against him on tariffs, the president held an angry White House press conference, calling the conservative justices who sided against him disloyal among other insults.
    — Tamara Keith, NPR, 1 July 2026
Definition of insults
Noun
  • First seen at a night-club table of menacing lowlifes, Ida, whose mother tongue is Brooklynese, suddenly switches to a heavy British accent and dispenses a torrent of highly literary sarcasms.
    — Richard Brody, New Yorker, 4 Mar. 2026
Definition of sarcasms

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barbers
barbs
barcarole
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Cite this Entry

“Barbs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/barbs. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on barbs

Nglish: Translation of barbs for Spanish Speakers

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