taunting 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of tauntingnext
as in mocking

Synonyms & Similar Words

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taunting

2 of 2

verb

present participle of taunt
as in teasing
to attack repeatedly with mean put-downs or insults the principal reminded the student athletes that taunting their opponents was not showing good sportsmanship

Synonyms & Similar Words

Examples Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for taunting
  1. teasing
  2. derisive
  3. mocking
Verb
  • While the pop star typically wears her hair in big, bombshell curls, this set was especially fluffy and voluminous, definitely the result of some Velcro rollers, a teasing comb, and a large-barrel curling iron.
    Kara Nesvig, Allure, 11 Dec. 2024
  • Their jacket flaps include marketing copy designed to entice a browser to buy (and, ideally, read) them, teasing the details of their plot, their mood, or the flavor of their prose.
    Tajja Isen, The Atlantic, 11 Dec. 2024
Definition of teasing
Adjective
  • Yet Horse Crazy is one of the best American novels about obsession in part because the narrator mostly dislikes Gregory, subjecting this object of lust to the same derisive interior voice that comments on virtually every other aspect of his life.
    Daniel Felsenthal, The Atlantic, 29 Oct. 2024
  • Sanders didn’t win either primary, but the recurring debate each election cycle helped create and standardize a set of derisive talking points that remains popular today.
    Constance Grady, Vox, 7 Dec. 2018
Definition of derisive
Verb
  • The film is far and away the year’s most successful documentary at the box office but has attracted criticism for mocking DEI programs as a scam.
    Matthew Carey, Deadline, 8 Dec. 2024
  • And there’s Teeny doing a mocking sarcasm clap, which is my second favorite type of clap, after an inspirational movie slow clap that starts as a solitary person in a crowd and then spreads like wildfire into a full assault of applause by a large grip of onlookers.
    Dalton Ross, EW.com, 5 Dec. 2024
Definition of mocking
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.

Thesaurus Entries Near taunting

taunters

taunting

taunts

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Cite this Entry

“Taunting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/taunting. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.

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More from Merriam-Webster on taunting

Nglish: Translation of taunting for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of taunting for Arabic Speakers

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