taunt 1 of 2

taunt

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noun

Synonym Chooser

How is the word taunt distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of taunt are deride, mock, and ridicule. While all these words mean "to make an object of laughter of," taunt suggests jeeringly provoking insult or challenge.

hometown fans taunted the visiting team

When could deride be used to replace taunt?

The words deride and taunt are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, deride suggests contemptuous and often bitter ridicule.

derided their efforts to start their own business

When would mock be a good substitute for taunt?

Although the words mock and taunt have much in common, mock implies scorn often ironically expressed as by mimicry or sham deference.

youngsters began to mock the helpless wino

In what contexts can ridicule take the place of taunt?

The synonyms ridicule and taunt are sometimes interchangeable, but ridicule implies a deliberate often malicious belittling.

consistently ridiculed everything she said

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 taunt
Verb
The Masked Singer reveals Ant as former girl group star, and finally brings out Lucky Duck to taunt the panel Then, Space Ranger came out, and had the distinct honor of being the first person on The Masked Singer to sing a song by Taylor Swift. Lauren Huff, EW.com, 6 Mar. 2025 The derogatory nickname is a callback to half a decade ago, when Trump used it to taunt Warren, who has previously claimed Native American heritage and at the time was running for president. Savannah Kuchar, USA TODAY, 5 Mar. 2025
Noun
In contrast, President Claudia Sheinbaum of Mexico has avoided such taunts and warnings. David E. Sanger, New York Times, 7 Mar. 2025 The big picture: Parody accounts from Mount Rainier and Mount Hood are trading playful taunts and humorous one-upmanship, comparing body counts and jesting about whether size matters. Christine Clarridge, Axios, 28 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for taunt
Recent Examples of Synonyms for taunt
Verb
  • As OpenAI rolls out Sora to more users, expanding access to additional countries and teasing a potential ChatGPT integration, developers may be incentivized to address issues of bias further.
    Reece Rogers, WIRED, 23 Mar. 2025
  • This year, the star has teased new music, sharing occasional studio photos on Instagram.
    Mitchell Peters, Billboard, 22 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • The footage shows Vance smiling and waving to the crowd from his box seat as the jeers continued.
    Raechal Shewfelt, EW.com, 14 Mar. 2025
  • The former Ohio senator responded to the jeers with a smile while waving to the crowd and sipping his wine, as seen in a video captured by Andrew Roth, a global affairs correspondent for the Guardian.
    Ashleigh Fields, The Hill, 14 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • The plans, mocked up by Populous, include a sky bar overlooking the pitch, a stadium roof-walk experience, a 3,000-capacity fan zone, a 400-bed hotel (part of the Radisson group), a new club shop and museum.
    Tom Burrows, The Athletic, 23 Mar. 2025
  • Social media trends come and go, but one craze that appears to have outstayed its welcome is the desire to mock millennials (people born between 1981 and 1996).
    Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 20 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • Despite the show's ruminations revolving around Dorian's ego, there is no vanity in this performance where Snook sweats, sneers, and dashes across stage.
    Shania Russell, EW.com, 28 Mar. 2025
  • One is Giovanni Battista Moroni’s Portrait of a Woman (ca. 1575), in which a leery-eyed woman stares down at her viewer, pressing her lips into the faintest of sneers.
    Alex Greenberger, ARTnews.com, 26 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • The dispute stems from last year’s feud wherein Drake and Lamar traded increasingly personal and unverified insults in a series of songs.
    Alli Rosenbloom, CNN, 18 Mar. 2025
  • Tariffs on Canadian exports and repeated insults by President Donald Trump about Canada becoming the 51st state have Canadians pushing back with a term hockey fans may be familiar with.
    Jalen Williams, USA TODAY, 18 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • The apparent diss follows Rocky’s recent legal victory over Relli, as he was found not guilty of felony assault charges, dodging a potential 24-year prison sentence.
    Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 17 Mar. 2025
  • Cave addressed the ubiquity of the diss in his open-forum fan Q&A, The Red Hand Files, on Wednesday.
    Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 12 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • The contrary argument is that stronger presidential oversight gibes with American constitutional principles and would ensure greater political accountability to the voters for all of an administration’s initiatives.
    Alden Abbott, Forbes, 21 Mar. 2025
  • But even some Republicans weren’t happy with the nasty gibe.
    Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 6 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • A number of those in the crowd went silent during the provocative quips.
    Ted Johnson, Deadline, 29 Mar. 2025
  • Republican politicians were quick to pile on after a clip of the quip circulated, with some calling for her to be censured.
    Theresa Braine, New York Daily News, 25 Mar. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Taunt.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/taunt. Accessed 4 Apr. 2025.

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