as in sarcastic
marked by the use of wit that is intended to cause hurt feelings
whispered a steady stream of acerbic comments as the lecturer droned on
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Recent Examples of acerbic
Adams excels at that sweet-and-sour paradox, and Marielle Heller’s adaptation succeeds in capturing the acerbic humor of Rachel Yoder’s 2021 novel.
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Matthew Jacobs, Vulture, 6 Dec. 2024
The writing across all of these works is vivid, acerbic, unflinching.
—Negar Azimi, The New Yorker, 12 Dec. 2024
Well, multi-hyphenate artist Cole Escola plays Mary Todd Lincoln as an acerbic alcoholic who cares way more about achieving a career as a cabaret singer than whether her husband (Conrad Ricamora) wins the ongoing Civil War.
—Ew Staff, EW.com, 11 Dec. 2024
The backlash against Thompson spread across social media, from TikTok to Twitter, LinkedIn to Bluesky — typically acerbic jokes about the poster’s empathy being out of network or that Thompson’s claim to sympathy had been denied.
—Aja Romano, Vox, 7 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for acerbic 
Matthew Jacobs, Vulture, 6 Dec. 2024
The writing across all of these works is vivid, acerbic, unflinching.
—Negar Azimi, The New Yorker, 12 Dec. 2024
Well, multi-hyphenate artist Cole Escola plays Mary Todd Lincoln as an acerbic alcoholic who cares way more about achieving a career as a cabaret singer than whether her husband (Conrad Ricamora) wins the ongoing Civil War.
—Ew Staff, EW.com, 11 Dec. 2024
The backlash against Thompson spread across social media, from TikTok to Twitter, LinkedIn to Bluesky — typically acerbic jokes about the poster’s empathy being out of network or that Thompson’s claim to sympathy had been denied.
—Aja Romano, Vox, 7 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for acerbic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for acerbic
Adjective
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As the group grows, so do the number of sarcastic or unserious posts and comments within it.Tim Ryan, Newsweek, 18 Dec. 2024
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His gibes at China on X were often aggressive and sarcastic.Motoko Rich, New York Times, 15 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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The show isn't satiric so much as amused by the absurd lengths to which the Kaylas of our society will go in pursuit of self-definition.Tom Gliatto, People.com, 10 Dec. 2024
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Mann at his most satiric has Settembrini contributing an essay to a multivolume project whose purpose is to end suffering.George Packer, The Atlantic, 5 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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Although small quantities of citrus aren’t likely to do damage, placing large amounts of citrus in worm bins can make bins too acidic for red wigglers.Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 26 Dec. 2024
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The acidic stream will be neutralized or shipped out, and the basic stream will be released into the ocean.IEEE Spectrum, IEEE Spectrum, 23 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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The tortoises live in a sheltered habitat ringed by barbed wire and draped in netting.Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 22 Dec. 2024
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Middle Tennessee actor talks near-death experience Flying into a barbed wire fence at 11.Rosalind Bowling, The Tennessean, 19 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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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
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Last year, the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality fined Intel for failing to control air emissions of acid gases at its Hillsboro chip production facility.Arlene Blum, Forbes, 17 Dec. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Acerbic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/acerbic. Accessed 6 Jan. 2025.
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