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 Asked about the rivalry Tuesday, McDonald said the Crips and Bloods in Compton were peaceful before Bad Boy and Death Row started trading barbs. — Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 19 Aug. 2026 The president has traded barbs and missile strikes with Tehran regarding the flow of regional commerce through the international waterway since peace talks with Iran broke down last month. — Christian Datoc, The Washington Examiner, 14 Aug. 2026 More recently, the legal battles became the subject of barbs and jokes as comedian Bill Maher accepted the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor in late June. — ABC News, 13 Aug. 2026 Shapiro and Owens have traded increasingly nasty barbs in recent months, with Shapiro attacking Owens over the conspiracy theories she’s promoted about Charlie Kirk’s assassination and Owens likewise punching back. — Andy Meek, Forbes.com, 9 Aug. 2026 The Democratic opponents have traded barbs over spending from pro-Israel groups, including after a contentious July 27 debate. — Phillip M. Bailey, USA Today, 4 Aug. 2026 In a year where everything Skubal does has been fair game for discussion and discord, the barbs surrounding the WBC still have not faded. — Cody Stavenhagen, New York Times, 22 July 2026 Rattlesnake master, a native prairie plant, has long, thin, stiff leaves with barbs along the entire margin. — Sheryl Devore, Chicago Tribune, 8 July 2026 Its backward-facing barbs resemble overlapping tiles on a roof. — Philip Anderson, The Conversation, 8 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for barbs
  1. insults
  2. sarcasms
Noun
  • He was subsequently dismissed by Dior and, months later, found guilty by a French court of making public insults based on origin, religion, race, or ethnicity.
    — Daisy Maldonado, InStyle, 31 Aug. 2026
  • The arrest came after Kelley Wolf had reportedly made a series of hostile social media posts, which featured insults and allegations against various friends and family, including her ex-husband, Wolf.
    — Edward Segarra, USA Today, 31 Aug. 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 1 Sep. 2026.

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