1
: having barbs
2
: characterized by pointed and biting criticism or sarcasm
barbed witticisms
Synonyms
Examples of barbed in a Sentence
The candidates exchanged barbed comments during the debate.
barbed satire on American academia
Recent Examples on the Web
One of his proudest accomplishments was removing 30 miles of fence to accommodate his growing cattle grazing operation, reclaiming the wide-open feel lost when the land was divided into chunks surrounded by barbed wire for smaller cattle farmers.
—
Mike Hendricks, Kansas City Star, 3 June 2024
What is life like for an inmate firefighter? Tucked away in the woods, free of electric fences, barbed wire and guard towers, fire camps are an attractive alternative to traditional prison yards.
—Maya Miller, Sacramento Bee, 31 May 2024
Clothing, insulation, bits of plastic and other pieces of debris were wrapped around miles of barbed wire fence line surrounding grazing land in the rural area.
—CBS News, 27 May 2024
Devil's Rope Museum in McLean, Texas Roughly an hour's drive from Amarillo, the Devil's Rope Museum is an interesting stop, with exhibits dedicated to the history of Route 66 in Texas, as well as the importance of barbed wire and its impact on the American West.
—Elizabeth Rhodes, Travel + Leisure, 26 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for barbed 
Mike Hendricks, Kansas City Star, 3 June 2024
What is life like for an inmate firefighter? Tucked away in the woods, free of electric fences, barbed wire and guard towers, fire camps are an attractive alternative to traditional prison yards.
—Maya Miller, Sacramento Bee, 31 May 2024
Clothing, insulation, bits of plastic and other pieces of debris were wrapped around miles of barbed wire fence line surrounding grazing land in the rural area.
—CBS News, 27 May 2024
Devil's Rope Museum in McLean, Texas Roughly an hour's drive from Amarillo, the Devil's Rope Museum is an interesting stop, with exhibits dedicated to the history of Route 66 in Texas, as well as the importance of barbed wire and its impact on the American West.
—Elizabeth Rhodes, Travel + Leisure, 26 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for barbed
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'barbed.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near barbed
Cite this Entry
“Barbed.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/barbed. Accessed 9 Jun. 2024.
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