1
: having barbs
2
: characterized by pointed and biting criticism or sarcasm
barbed witticisms
Synonyms
Examples of barbed in a Sentence
The candidates exchanged barbed comments during the debate.
barbed satire on American academia
Recent Examples on the Web
Eventually, their barbed insults soften into cheeky flirting, and the likeliest of unlikely love stories begins.
—
Kristen Baldwin, EW.com, 7 May 2024
Brooks has to retrieve cows that slip through the barbed wire fence around the site and chew the wells’ rusting metal and drink wastewater.
—Mark Olalde, ProPublica, 6 May 2024
The fence is more than 8 feet tall and is topped with a strand of barbed wire — too high for many animals to jump and dangerous for those that attempt to do so.
—Elise Schmelzer, The Denver Post, 5 May 2024
Specific images of the Holocaust have endlessly punctuated the film and TV landscape: The barbed wire of a concentration camp.
—Amber Dowling, Variety, 2 May 2024
Rounded up and imprisoned in barbed wire prison camps in some of the most hellish places and most desolate places in the country.
—Abc News, ABC News, 19 Apr. 2024
The book, illustrated by Michelle Lee, recounts other emotional moments, including how Takei learned to say the Pledge of Allegiance while surrounded by barbed wire and soldiers on guard.
—Eric Andersson, Peoplemag, 16 Apr. 2024
Left behind among the piles of trash are clotheslines made from barbed wire.
—Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 8 Apr. 2024
Behind barbed wire and watchtowers, the ancient treasures remained there for decades, despite a few armed break-ins over the years.
—Stephanie Yang, Los Angeles Times, 3 Apr. 2024
Kristen Baldwin, EW.com, 7 May 2024
Brooks has to retrieve cows that slip through the barbed wire fence around the site and chew the wells’ rusting metal and drink wastewater.
—Mark Olalde, ProPublica, 6 May 2024
The fence is more than 8 feet tall and is topped with a strand of barbed wire — too high for many animals to jump and dangerous for those that attempt to do so.
—Elise Schmelzer, The Denver Post, 5 May 2024
Specific images of the Holocaust have endlessly punctuated the film and TV landscape: The barbed wire of a concentration camp.
—Amber Dowling, Variety, 2 May 2024
Rounded up and imprisoned in barbed wire prison camps in some of the most hellish places and most desolate places in the country.
—Abc News, ABC News, 19 Apr. 2024
The book, illustrated by Michelle Lee, recounts other emotional moments, including how Takei learned to say the Pledge of Allegiance while surrounded by barbed wire and soldiers on guard.
—Eric Andersson, Peoplemag, 16 Apr. 2024
Left behind among the piles of trash are clotheslines made from barbed wire.
—Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 8 Apr. 2024
Behind barbed wire and watchtowers, the ancient treasures remained there for decades, despite a few armed break-ins over the years.
—Stephanie Yang, Los Angeles Times, 3 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'barbed.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near barbed
Cite this Entry
“Barbed.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/barbed. Accessed 17 May. 2024.
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