targets 1 of 2

noun

plural of target
1
as in victims
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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2
as in jokes
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 goals
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

targets

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of target
as in taunts

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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 targets
Noun
While mega-cap pharma companies typically look to invest in assets that offer peak sales in the billions of dollars, Gayer has smaller targets in mind. — Brad Quick, CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026 Truist declined to disclose details about hiring targets and compensation, or how many advisors the bank employs. — Charlotte Observer, 27 Aug. 2026 In response, Ukraine has hit high-profile targets on Russian soil as the countries inflict mutual destruction. — Hanna Arhirova, Los Angeles Times, 27 Aug. 2026 With Mike McDaniel tailoring an offense around him, and Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle offering lethal receiver targets, Tagovailoa threw 73 touchdowns, compared with 29 interceptions, over those three seasons. — Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 27 Aug. 2026 Now, the Islamic Republic’s top military officials are threatening to strike energy targets beyond the Strait of Hormuz, potentially hitting some of the emerging oil shipment routes that bypass the waterway. — Mostafa Salem, CNN Money, 27 Aug. 2026 His targets will include Grant High School graduates Leka Letuli and Kyle Jones. — Joe Davidson, Sacbee.com, 27 Aug. 2026 Nonetheless, the costs of intercepting incoming munitions could prove particularly high if targets are engaged over populated areas, with drones, defensive munitions and falling debris all posing risks to people and property on the ground. — David Brennan, ABC News, 21 Aug. 2026 Fine powder targets laser powder bed fusion systems, which typically use particles between 15 and 63 microns. — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 20 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for targets
  1. victims
  2. jokes
  3. goals
  4. taunts
  5. prey
  6. fools
  7. purposes
  8. baits
Noun
  • Other federal agencies that were victims of computer intrusion by the platforms were the Energy Department, the Health and Human Services Department and the National Institutes of Health, according to the DOJ.
    — Dan Mangan, CNBC, 26 Aug. 2026
  • The State Department issued a statement on Wednesday expressing condolences to the victims of the flooding and pledged financial support.
    — Matteo Moschella, NBC news, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of victims
Noun
  • There was nothing particularly novel about the show’s premise, but the scripts were refreshingly dense with jokes, prioritizing laughs over contrived drama or seasonlong relationship arcs.
    — Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 28 Aug. 2026
  • The order, which directs federal officials to formalize the name change within 30 days, quickly sparked backlash, jokes and parody proposals.
    — Gabe Hauari, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of jokes
Noun
  • The Sun conjoins Mercury in Virgo and your 10th House of Career, Reputation, Authority, and Public Life, helping your goals become easier to explain.
    — Tarot.com, The Orlando Sentinel, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Sanchez also had a pair of goals in the Courage’s 2-1 victory over the Boston Legacy on Saturday.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of goals
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
  • Trump routinely mocks Newsom and refers to the governor using a derogatory nickname, while Newsom taunts the president with frequent social media posts.
    — Darlene Superville, Fortune, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of taunts
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
  • Pace, skill, a vicious shot, the ability to make opposition defenders look like fools.
    — James Horncastle, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2026
  • This is an ignoble war making monsters and fools out of its participants, and against the uncontrollable weapons that are dragons, everyone’s resolve is crumbling.
    — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 18 June 2026
Definition of fools
Noun
  • Anthropic wanted assurance that its technology would not be used for fully autonomous weapons or domestic mass surveillance, and the DOD wanted Anthropic to grant the agency unfettered access to Claude across all lawful purposes.
    — Ashley Capoot, CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Governments generally don’t need a model that’s as powerful as what’s on the frontier to automate a few tasks; Ting explains that a tiny model, even one with as few as 1 billion parameters, can suit those purposes.
    — Nicholas Gordon, Fortune, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of purposes
Verb
  • First, Verbruggen baits Joao Pedro, who abandons Olivier Boscagli.
    — Jon Mackenzie, New York Times, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Specialty carp baits and tackle drive a large portion of the European recreational fishing industries sales.
    — Joe Cermele, Outdoor Life, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of baits

Browse Nearby Words

targeting
targets
tariff
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Cite this Entry

“Targets.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/targets. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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