TARGET Synonyms: 157 Similar and Opposite Words

target 1 of 2

noun

ˈtär-gət

Definition of target

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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Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

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

Still pushing for the roster, second-year wide receiver Andrew Armstrong drew the most targets on the night, turning eight chances into five receptions for a team-leading 54 yards. — Kansas City Star, 29 Aug. 2026 While the rendezvous target was deployed as planned and tracked by radar, Mission Control called the demo off when the pressure glitch occurred because the fuel cells were key to power Gemini 5 for its full 8-day mission. — Tariq Malik, Space.com, 29 Aug. 2026

Verb

In 2021 – in the midst of a diplomatic crisis between Morocco and Spain – Moroccan authorities allegedly ordered the use of Pegasus to target the phones of the Spanish Ministers of Foreign Affairs, the Interior, and Defense. — Miguel MacIas, NPR, 16 Aug. 2026 That can include things like using AI to analyze a company’s website to figure out who to target or deploying an AI agent to handle initial negotiation talks with a cyber extortion victim. — Lisa Eadicicco, CNN Money, 9 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for target

Recent Examples of Synonyms for target

Noun

Homecoming aside, there’s still the Trawler to worry about, a fact we’re reminded of when another victim turns up on a playground, this time with a pentagram carved into his back and fish corpses shoved into his wounds.

— Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 27 Aug. 2026
After Bateman’s September 2022 arrest, his child victims were placed in protective custody.

— Christina Coulter, PEOPLE, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of victim

Verb

Continue reading … -- POLITICS 'BAD LOOK' – Newsom's attack dog taunts Buttigieg over South Carolina visit as 2028 fight heats up.

— , FOXNews.com, 25 Aug. 2026
Cunningham’s highlights are hard fouls, a few 3-pointers, taunting, serving as a ring girl at a UFC fight, her sense of humor, and now commentary that has a Fox flair.

— Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of taunt

Noun

Granted exclusive access to the nest, the BBC witnessed some of the raptors’ striking feeding behavior, in which the male drops prey in midair and the female rolls upside down to snatch it in her talons.

— Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 25 Aug. 2026
Nearly an hour after a pod separated a humpback whale calf from its mother, the orcas resurfaced carrying their prey between them.

— Cecilia Rodriguez, Forbes.com, 23 Aug. 2026

Definition of prey

Noun

But don’t let the cute style fool you—this look is super practical, too.

— Kayla Becker, Travel + Leisure, 29 Aug. 2026
However, reinventing Beethoven at the Bowl, doing so following Dudamel and with little rehearsal time, could easily become a fool’s errand.

— Classical Music Critic, Los Angeles Times, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of fool

Browse Nearby Words

tardy

target

targeted

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Style

“Target.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/target. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of target

noun

verb

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