target 1 of 2

noun

ˈtär-gət How to pronounce target (audio)
Definition of targetnext
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

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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

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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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

target

2 of 2

verb

as in to taunt

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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
Noun
With a $259 price target, analyst Vincent Caintic sees 26% upside for the stock from Thursday’s close. — Davis Giangiulio, CNBC, 4 July 2026 President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine had successfully hit oil infrastructure in the port as well as military targets around the Kronstadt naval base. — Patrick Reevell, ABC News, 4 July 2026
Verb
Green coffee extract and caffeine work together to target dark circles and puffiness, making this especially effective for under-eye concealing. — Jailynn Taylor, Allure, 13 June 2026 The Islamic Republic is on watch for any potential attacks that may target the funeral ceremony, where millions of Iranians and several foreign dignitaries are expected to take part. — Nadeen Ebrahim, CNN Money, 4 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for target
Recent Examples of Synonyms for target
  1. victim
  2. joke
  3. goal
  4. taunt
  5. prey
  6. fool
  7. aim
  8. harass
Noun
  • The families of the victims said the pain is still as raw to this day.
    — Madisen Keavy, CBS News, 2 July 2026
  • Most of the victims lived nearby, and funeral prayers were expected later Tuesday.
    — CNN Money, CNN Money, 1 July 2026
Definition of victim
Noun
  • The problem is, having our President butt in here was a joke.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 7 July 2026
  • The two constants in the show, tap-dancing and short ridiculous jokes, start to have the same rhythms and sharp bam-bam-bam impact.
    — Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 6 July 2026
Definition of joke
Noun
  • Balogun matched Landon Donovan in 2010 for the second-most goals by an American in a World Cup, behind only Bert Patenaude's four in the initial tournament in 1930.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 2 July 2026
  • Controversial red card looms large The story of the game to that point was Folarin Balogun, who scored a goal in the 45th minute and then was given a controversial red card in the second half.
    — Chris Biderman, Sacbee.com, 2 July 2026
Definition of goal
Verb
  • Steak 'n Shake announced its month-long Liberty Meal deal to celebrate America's 250th birthday — and used the occasion to taunt a competitor.
    — Teresa Mull, FOXNews.com, 2 July 2026
  • In the Chicago area, officials said three men captured a victim and shot him multiple times in the head and allegedly taunted his mother.
    — Luke Barr, ABC News, 1 July 2026
Definition of taunt
Noun
  • Many individuals fall prey to emotional pitfalls like fear, greed, or shame, leading to impulsive spending, credit card debt, and neglecting long-term goals like retirement.
    — ByGabriel Shahin, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026
  • Cod are slow to grow and reproduce, and the effects of climate change—warming their waters and reducing their preferred prey—didn’t help.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 June 2026
Definition of prey
Noun
  • Being a gent or a supplicant wasn’t the same as being a fool, though.
    — Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 29 June 2026
  • Don’t let the simple style fool you, though, because the ultra-soft foam insoles provide solid arch support.
    — Caitlyn Fitzpatrick, PEOPLE, 29 June 2026
Definition of fool
Noun
  • Iraq wants permission to produce a record 5 million barrels a day coming out of the war, with a long-term aim of getting production up to 7 million barrels a day, Bloomberg reported.
    — David Goldman, CNN Money, 6 July 2026
  • The state’s Holocaust Education Bill, passed in 1994, requires every school district to teach the Holocaust with the explicit aim of building tolerance, nurturing democratic values, and confronting what indifference produces.
    — Masha Pearl, Sun Sentinel, 5 July 2026
Definition of aim
Verb
  • Lively accused Baldoni in December 2024 of harassing her on the set of It Ends With Us and subsequently plotting a smear campaign against her.
    — Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 30 June 2026
  • Debt collectors generally cannot harass family members or misrepresent who is legally responsible for the debt.
    — Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 30 June 2026
Definition of harass

Browse Nearby Words

tardy
target
targeted
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Cite this Entry

“Target.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/target. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on target

Nglish: Translation of target for Spanish Speakers

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