as in sarcastic
marked by the use of wit that is intended to cause hurt feelings
a professor with a rather acerb sense of humor
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for acerb
Adjective
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Awkward teen genius Peter Parker, who's a sarcastic, selfless hero?—
DeVonne Goode,
Parents,
29 Jan. 2025 -
His voice takes a rare sarcastic tinge, an angle that’s refreshing and unexpected from a fairly earnest thinker.—
Daniel D'Addario,
Variety,
21 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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The tone, like the title, is satiric and pitch black.—
Andrew Silow-Carroll,
Sun Sentinel,
30 Jan. 2025
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Gad originated the role of Elder Cunningham alongside Andrew Rannells' Elder Price in a satiric look at two young missionaries' misguided attempts to spread the gospel in a small Ugandan village.—
Ryan Coleman,
EW.com,
16 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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The fires in Altadena and Pacific Palisades consumed not only trees, brush and timber from people’s homes but also lead acid car batteries, plastic pipes, synthetic furniture, paint and untold other potential sources of contamination.—
Jack Healy,
New York Times,
20 Jan. 2025
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Since azaleas are acid soil-loving plants, pine needles, aged pine bark, or leaf mold are ideal mulches.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
Southern Living,
19 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Sun exposure: Full sun to part shade Soil type: Well-draining, slightly acidic Camellias boast evergreen foliage and large, lush blooms in a variety of pink-ish colors ranging from hot pink to dark red.—
Arricca Elin SanSone,
Southern Living,
26 Jan. 2025
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Adding acidic ingredients like vinegar or tomatoes may also alter the texture and taste.—
Chelsea Rae Bourgeois, RDN, LD,
Health,
21 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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The sun is shining outside, but the darkness of the multistory complex – a network of torture chambers and cold cells cut off from the outside world by concrete walls and a latticework of braided barbed wire – is overwhelming.—
Scott Peterson,
The Christian Science Monitor,
31 Jan. 2025
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Manny found Gabriela, who had tripped and gotten tangled in a barbed wire fence, twisting her ankle.—
Matt Webb Mitovich,
TVLine,
31 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Jean-Baptiste gives an acerbic and unsettling performance — but one not Oscar voters honored.—
Eric Andersson,
People.com,
23 Jan. 2025
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La Salle has been a working actor for decades, and is mostly known for his 15 year run as the acerbic Dr. Peter Benton on the award-winning medical drama ER.—
Anne Easton,
Forbes,
14 Jan. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Acerb.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/acerb. Accessed 6 Feb. 2025.
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