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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of barb
The show was merciless with its satirical barbs against top government officials and current events, just as its parent company Paramount Skydance has pushed to acquire Warner Bros Discovery.
—
Erik Pedersen, Deadline, 19 May 2026
The responses via social media, which ranged from sheer laughter to expletive-laden barbs, ultimately showcased just how much damage Patullo did to the psyche of Eagles fans across the country.
—Miami Herald, 14 May 2026
The two have smacked each other around in the weeks since and traded barbs over their places within the company.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 9 May 2026
Harris’s film, though, trades brainy barbs for some pretty vicious violence as a set of twins, badly scarred from a childhood fire, go on a journey to confront the root of their trauma.
—Juan A. Ramírez, Vogue, 8 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for barb
Erik Pedersen, Deadline, 19 May 2026
The responses via social media, which ranged from sheer laughter to expletive-laden barbs, ultimately showcased just how much damage Patullo did to the psyche of Eagles fans across the country.
—Miami Herald, 14 May 2026
The two have smacked each other around in the weeks since and traded barbs over their places within the company.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 9 May 2026
Harris’s film, though, trades brainy barbs for some pretty vicious violence as a set of twins, badly scarred from a childhood fire, go on a journey to confront the root of their trauma.
—Juan A. Ramírez, Vogue, 8 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for barb
Recent Examples of Synonyms for barb
Noun
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An unusual insult in Grease came to be thanks to a flub on an actor's part.—
Marina Watts,
Entertainment Weekly,
2 June 2026
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And, to add insult to Cardinals’ fans’ injury, with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning of that same game, Jordan Walker hit a ball nearly 100-mph into the gap in left-center.—
Dan Freedman,
Forbes.com,
1 June 2026
Noun
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There’s a lot of sarcasm, and a lot of personalities.—
Anne Thompson,
IndieWire,
28 May 2026
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His willingness to deliver unvarnished opinions, often sprinkled with sarcasm or humor, has been refreshing for Gator Nation after four seasons of Billy Napier’s measured — at times droning — delivery.—
Edgar Thompson,
The Orlando Sentinel,
27 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Barb.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/barb. Accessed 4 Jun. 2026.
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