1
as in victim
a person or thing that is the object of abuse, criticism, or ridicule
the hapless vice president quickly became the favorite target of late-night comedians
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in joke
a person or thing that is made fun of
a badly made TV commercial that became the target of lots of jokes
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3
as in goal
something that one hopes or intends to accomplish
our target is to raise $100,000 for a new playground by August
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to taunt
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Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of target
Max Zahn, ABC News, 18 Dec. 2024
As of October, Japan hosted 2.05 million foreign workers, but the country must more than triple this number by 2040 to meet its economic growth targets, the government's Japan International Cooperation Agency has projected.
—Dan Perry, Newsweek, 18 Dec. 2024
Sam Woodward, USA TODAY, 6 Dec. 2024
World & Nation Trump free to use Justice Department to target his enemies.
—Zeke Miller and Colleen Long, Los Angeles Times, 6 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for target 
Noun
But the recent uptick has reversed some progress made at the start of this year that had landed price increases right near the Fed's target of 2%.
—Max Zahn, ABC News, 18 Dec. 2024
As of October, Japan hosted 2.05 million foreign workers, but the country must more than triple this number by 2040 to meet its economic growth targets, the government's Japan International Cooperation Agency has projected.
—Dan Perry, Newsweek, 18 Dec. 2024
Verb
Harassment, violence and derogatory rhetoric targeting Jewish people have risen in the wake of the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attacks on Israel and the war since.
—Sam Woodward, USA TODAY, 6 Dec. 2024
World & Nation Trump free to use Justice Department to target his enemies.
—Zeke Miller and Colleen Long, Los Angeles Times, 6 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for target
Recent Examples of Synonyms for target
Noun
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Almost a year ago, David Alaba became a victim of the same knock and still hasn't returned to the pitch while others including Vinicius Jr. and Kylian Mbappe have been out for weeks at a time towards the end of the year.Tom Sanderson, Forbes, 16 Dec. 2024
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Pope Francis offered prayers for the victims while visiting the French Mediterranean island of Corsica on Sunday.Raja Krishnamoorthi, Newsweek, 16 Dec. 2024
Noun
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Like many classic Spongebob jokes, the scene became a meme, often referenced and recreated online.Dani Di Placido, Forbes, 13 Dec. 2024
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Mulaney did a classic couch set on The Tonight Show (perhaps the most classic venue for a couch set) with new jokes about his son, his son’s emerging rockabilly tendencies, and his son’s hatred for Steely Dan.Bethy Squires, Vulture, 13 Dec. 2024
Noun
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The 18-year-old Brazilian striker came on with four minutes left of Madrid’s La Liga match against Real Valladolid — and crashed home his first goal for the club in a 3-0 win to eclipse Kylian Mbappe’s first Madrid appearance at the Bernabeu.Guillermo Rai, The Athletic, 14 Dec. 2024
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Along with strengthening Macy's nameplate, the company's goals are accelerating luxury growth and simplifying and modernizing end-to-end operations.Jonathan Limehouse, Austin American-Statesman, 14 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Kaczynski had taunted officials with a rambling manifesto and was apprehended following one of the longest FBI manhunts in history.Erik Ortiz, NBC News, 10 Dec. 2024
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India, a team whose 12-year-old unbeaten home record has just been dismantled by New Zealand, taunted them with superior skills and in-your-face backchat.Tim Ellis, Forbes, 4 Dec. 2024
Noun
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Once in place, researchers could visualize and observe which motor neurons lit up during what activities, such as bobbing the illicium to attract prey.Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 12 Dec. 2024
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The adaptations evolved by both species pointed to a shift in the diet from terrestrial to aquatic prey.Scott Travers, Forbes, 7 Dec. 2024
Noun
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After lost Olympic shot, the sprint star is back NBA mock draft: Who's going No. 1?New York Times, New York Times, 20 June 2024
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Castle checks in at No. 4 and Clingan at No. 7 in USA Today’s latest mock.Kels Dayton, Hartford Courant, 11 June 2024
Noun
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On Tuesday, Macron convened a meeting of the main parties (but no far left or far-right), the aim being to form a government in the national interest (the trade-off might be a less rigorous budget).Mike O'Sullivan, Forbes, 11 Dec. 2024
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The aim is to finish Terminal C by 2028, creating around 6,000 new jobs in the process.Joseph Epstein, Newsweek, 10 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Even if people are not thrown into prison, it’s being harassed all day, having to appear in court over and over again, having to spend all of your money on legal fees, having a bunch of Trump’s allies harassing you all day.Leah Feiger, WIRED, 6 Dec. 2024
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And activists say fighters have been disciplined in not harassing residents.Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 4 Dec. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near target
Cite this Entry
“Target.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/target. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.
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