as in sarcastic
marked by the use of wit that is intended to cause hurt feelings
a professor with a rather acerb sense of humor
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for acerb
Adjective
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Seinfeld is a Jewish man from New York’s Long Island with a wry and sarcastic sense of humor.—
Pam Kragen,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
23 Feb. 2025 -
Others lose a sense of trust by the sarcastic digs, eye rolls, interrupting, or belittling.—
Rachel Glik, Contributor,
CNBC,
4 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Misery, a horror movie with a satiric streak, launched Bates’s film stardom.—
Tim Grierson,
Vulture,
21 Feb. 2025
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The real star of the show, though, is not the satiric script or the campy performances, but rather how each character brings their own unique approach to dressing for the corporate ladder.—
Christian Allaire,
Vogue,
18 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Basic Skin Care Routine The key to maintaining a healthy skin pH is a basic skin care routine that maintains the acid mantle.—
Mark Gurarie,
Verywell Health,
30 Oct. 2024
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Even perennials have varying soil needs: some prefer more acid or more alkaline soil, or prefer a wet site or a dry one.—
Beth Botts,
Chicago Tribune,
2 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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As far as other watery places, bogs have been an especially rich source for archaeologists, since their acidic waters allow for an astonishing, mummy-like level of preservation.—
Alexander Nazaryan,
New York Times,
21 Feb. 2025
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Plants are better able to take up aluminum in acidic soil, ideally with a pH between 5.0 and 5.5.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
14 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Mengistu, a member of Israel's Ethiopian minority, entered the territory by crossing a barbed wire fence into Gaza.—
ASSOCIATED PRESS,
TIME,
22 Feb. 2025
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All pennies will henceforth be exiled to Guantanamo to live out their lives as former currency in orange jumpsuits, behind barbed wire, only inches from the best beaches ever.—
Barry Scott Zellen,
Hartford Courant,
18 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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The old-school formality of the costumes—women in dresses, men with ties—is counterbalanced by the flamboyance of their colors: flaming red, screeching green, lavish blue, acerbic yellow, judgmental white, which inflect the action’s moods and set its tones.—
Richard Brody,
The New Yorker,
11 Feb. 2025
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In order to stay, the mild-mannered young man takes a job assisting Elizabeth (Tilda Swinton), an eccentric and acerbic artist who promises to sponsor him for a green card.—
Carlos Aguilar,
Los Angeles Times,
31 Dec. 2024
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“Acerb.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/acerb. Accessed 3 Mar. 2025.
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