as in sarcastic
marked by the use of wit that is intended to cause hurt feelings
whispered a steady stream of acerbic comments as the lecturer droned on
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of acerbic
Anne Kaufman Schneider, who shepherded the plays of her father, George S. Kaufman, a titan of 20th-century American theatrical wit, into the 21st century with an acerbic sagacity all her own, died on Thursday at her home in Manhattan.
—
Barry Singer, New York Times, 14 Mar. 2025
When Dutchman opened at the Cherry Lane Theater in 1964, its acerbic take on the relationship between white and Black Americans shocked audiences.
—Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 8 Mar. 2025
And when Beck has the delightfully acerbic Agnes, a cook who appears to be on duty 24/7, on staff?
—Chris Klimek, Vulture, 27 Feb. 2025
Last week’s changes to hateful conduct rules allow users to post more acerbic criticism, including about gender and ethnicity.
—Paresh Dave, WIRED, 15 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for acerbic
Barry Singer, New York Times, 14 Mar. 2025
When Dutchman opened at the Cherry Lane Theater in 1964, its acerbic take on the relationship between white and Black Americans shocked audiences.
—Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 8 Mar. 2025
And when Beck has the delightfully acerbic Agnes, a cook who appears to be on duty 24/7, on staff?
—Chris Klimek, Vulture, 27 Feb. 2025
Last week’s changes to hateful conduct rules allow users to post more acerbic criticism, including about gender and ethnicity.
—Paresh Dave, WIRED, 15 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for acerbic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for acerbic
Adjective
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Emmy-nominated for the role the first time out, Ramsey is genius in it, the perfect amounts of precocious, sarcastic, and wide-eyedly vulnerable.—
Zing Tsjeng,
Vogue,
11 Apr. 2025
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What about someone who posts a meme that is satirical or a comment that is meant to be sarcastic?—
Peter Suciu,
Forbes.com,
10 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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That’s the premise of Douglas Is Cancelled, a cruelly funny 2024 BBC sitcom that seems very much in sync with satiric comedies such as The Office and W1A and Yes Minister.—
Air Mail,
Air Mail,
22 Mar. 2025
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Misery, a horror movie with a satiric streak, launched Bates’s film stardom.—
Tim Grierson,
Vulture,
21 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Make sure the soil is well-drained and acidic with pH levels ranging between 4.5-6.0. Consider laying down mulch to help the plants retain more moisture.—
Ashlyn Needham,
Southern Living,
8 Apr. 2025
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The warmer temperatures on the ocean surface are more acidic, which favors algae.—
CNN.com Wire Service,
Mercury News,
7 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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The season does pepper throughout a sense that Santos has a real heart under all that barbed wire.—
Nicholas Quah,
Vulture,
10 Apr. 2025
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The base that this is based on now has a bunch of barbed wire and fencing.—
Fred Topel,
Deadline,
5 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Alice in Wonderland is the exception with a $1 billion global take, made with the acid stylings of Tim Burton and Johnny Depp when the latter was hot as hell in a pre-streaming 2010.—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
31 Mar. 2025
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The company is a leading supplier of liquid and dry, acid and bicarbonate concentrates for dialysis patients in the United States.—
Quartz Intelligence Newsroom,
Quartz,
20 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Acerbic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/acerbic. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.
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