as in insult
an act or expression showing scorn and usually intended to hurt another's feelings
delivered one last barb to his ex-girlfriend as he stalked away
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 barb
But Moscow and London have been trading diplomatic barbs for years, particularly since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 poisoned relations between the two countries.
—
Rob Picheta, CNN, 10 Mar. 2025
The two men traded barbs for a few weeks afterward, but both appear to have moved on.
—Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 29 Mar. 2025
Smith and James traded barbs in separate media appearances throughout the week.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 28 Mar. 2025
There is a host of information like temperature (red line), dewpoint (green line), winds (barbs on the right), stability information (useful for storm potential), and precipitable water (helpful in assessing flood potential).
—Marshall Shepherd, Forbes, 21 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for barb
Rob Picheta, CNN, 10 Mar. 2025
The two men traded barbs for a few weeks afterward, but both appear to have moved on.
—Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 29 Mar. 2025
Smith and James traded barbs in separate media appearances throughout the week.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 28 Mar. 2025
There is a host of information like temperature (red line), dewpoint (green line), winds (barbs on the right), stability information (useful for storm potential), and precipitable water (helpful in assessing flood potential).
—Marshall Shepherd, Forbes, 21 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for barb
Cite this Entry
“Barb.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/barb. Accessed 23 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share