as in backside
the part of the body upon which someone sits
park your butts in the seats and keep quiet, or I'm turning this car around
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
1
as in joke
a person or thing that is made fun of
the social outcast got tired of being the butt of everyone's jokes
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in target
a person or thing that is the object of abuse, criticism, or ridicule
usually the U.S. Congress is the butt of the radio commentator's scathing wit
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to kick
Related Words
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 butt
Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 12 May 2026
After a long video review, the referees apparently couldn’t confirm that Manson actually landed the butt-end.
—Michael Russo, New York Times, 12 May 2026
Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 11 Feb. 2026
That’s not to say the athletes and technicians don’t stubbornly butt heads from time to time.
—Los Angeles Times, 11 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for butt
Noun
Sources indicated to Variety that the roast could have helped Smith rehabilitate his image by becoming the butt of the joke after his Oscar slap.
—Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 12 May 2026
After a long video review, the referees apparently couldn’t confirm that Manson actually landed the butt-end.
—Michael Russo, New York Times, 12 May 2026
Verb
Diabate put his head down to butt up against Duren’s forehead after the two slowly crept toward each other and Duren took his right hand and swiped at Diabate.
—Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 11 Feb. 2026
That’s not to say the athletes and technicians don’t stubbornly butt heads from time to time.
—Los Angeles Times, 11 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for butt
Recent Examples of Synonyms for butt
Noun
-
In an effort to show off some camera prowess, Motorola bundled the backside with three camera lenses.—
Florence Ion,
PC Magazine,
14 May 2026
-
No, there would be no pulling another rabbit out of a hat, no pulling another win from their backsides, no comeback this time.—
Kevin Acee,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
14 May 2026
Noun
-
Just ask Harris, whose handling of the border under Biden became a running joke in politics.—
Burgess Everett,
semafor.com,
14 May 2026
-
Now, if there’s some people telling these jokes at a church service, that would be one thing.—
Théoden Janes,
Charlotte Observer,
14 May 2026
Noun
-
The group blamed both the army and RSF and said some drones use visual monitoring technology capable of distinguishing targets, raising concerns that the attacks may not have been indiscriminate.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
16 May 2026
-
Barca’s No 1 forward target is Atletico Madrid’s Julian Alvarez, who club sources believe would be keen to join, while recognising negotiations with Atletico could be very tough.—
Pol Ballús,
New York Times,
16 May 2026
Noun
-
The results might not be there, but the at-bats and the barrels are still there.—
LaMond Pope,
Chicago Tribune,
15 May 2026
-
Still, to understand just how effective this blockade has been, analysts point to the dwindling amounts of Iranian crude stored on tankers near the coast of Malaysia, where millions of barrels of crude are illicitly transferred between tankers every day.—
Adina Renner,
New York Times,
15 May 2026
Verb
-
Instead, they have been reduced to tools of conflict meant to speedily manage escalation, contain risk, limit spillover, and restore short-term stability—a version of kicking the can down the road.—
Sudarsan Raghavan,
New Yorker,
12 May 2026
-
But a recent Washington Post investigation revealed that staff have punched, kicked, restrained, fired pepper spray and tased people in their facilities nationwide.—
Caitlin McGlade,
Charlotte Observer,
11 May 2026
Noun
-
Employing a cast of non-professional locals, the film playfully interrogates the brutal but bungled occupation while also allowing its actors — many of whom are descendants of the fascists’ victims — to reinterpret and reclaim a chapter in their city’s past.—
Christopher Vourlias,
Variety,
15 May 2026
-
Not the only victim The Miami-Dade case is not the only time Readon has been accused by investigators of defrauding homeowners.—
Grethel Aguila,
Miami Herald,
15 May 2026
Noun
-
These included pipe supports, wall thimbles, end fittings, and elements of the runner system used in the Fixed-Kaplan S-turbine design.—
Georgina Jedikovska,
Interesting Engineering,
15 May 2026
-
An inspector can identify polybutylene where pipes are visible and accessible, such as in a crawl space or at the water heater connections and meter.—
Ryan Brennan
May 15,
Charlotte Observer,
15 May 2026
Noun
-
These gentle giants used the surface area of their long necks and tails to shed heat and regulate their body temperature.—
Laura Baisas,
Popular Science,
14 May 2026
-
Various engineers seeking superior grip performance have employed biomimicry in their designs, which have been inspired by seed pods, elephant trunks, lobster tails (in fact, using actual lobster tails), and, of course, octopus limbs.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
13 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Butt.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/butt. Accessed 18 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
