1
as in victim
a person or thing that is the object of abuse, criticism, or ridicule
the hapless vice president quickly became the favorite target of late-night comedians
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in joke
a person or thing that is made fun of
a badly made TV commercial that became the target of lots of jokes
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in goal
something that one hopes or intends to accomplish
our target is to raise $100,000 for a new playground by August
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to taunt
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of target
Jon Wilner, The Mercury News, 21 Feb. 2025
The headline inflation has remained above the Bank of Japan’s 2% target for 34 straight months.
—Yeo Boon Ping, CNBC, 21 Feb. 2025
Alex Wigglesworth, Los Angeles Times, 23 Feb. 2025
Musk is not picking favorites, as everyone is being targeted, and that’s the problem.
—New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 22 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for target
Noun
Because the first target will be Notre Dame, followed by North Carolina, Clemson, Florida State and perhaps Miami.
—Jon Wilner, The Mercury News, 21 Feb. 2025
The headline inflation has remained above the Bank of Japan’s 2% target for 34 straight months.
—Yeo Boon Ping, CNBC, 21 Feb. 2025
Verb
That’s the modus operandi described by investigators in a string of at least 10 heists targeting BNSF trains in California and Arizona since last March.
—Alex Wigglesworth, Los Angeles Times, 23 Feb. 2025
Musk is not picking favorites, as everyone is being targeted, and that’s the problem.
—New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 22 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for target
Recent Examples of Synonyms for target
Noun
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Reporters, family members of Sigmon's victims and his lawyer will view the execution inside the same building used for all executions over the past 35 years, although prison officials say the glass separating the witness room from the death chamber is now bulletproof.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
4 Mar. 2025
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Newsom holds the ultimate trump card in their case, with the ability to grant clemency to the brothers whose case became a political football and was passed from one district attorney to another, becoming at-risk of becoming a victim of ongoing culture wars.—
Kevin Dolak,
The Hollywood Reporter,
4 Mar. 2025
Noun
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After a joke about Adam Sandler’s fashion sense, O’Brien suddenly changed tone to address the devastation of the wildfires in Los Angeles, and how an awards show can seem self-indulgent if that context was not addressed.—
Annie Aguiar,
New York Times,
3 Mar. 2025
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But from a pure comedy standpoint, the joke was just basic—and unfunny.—
Esther Zuckerman,
The Atlantic,
2 Mar. 2025
Noun
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These three countries host large deposits of several minerals critical to the U.S., for America's economic and geopolitical goals.—
John Feng,
Newsweek,
2 Mar. 2025
-
Sporting responded strongly after conceding the two goals.—
Daniel Sperry,
Kansas City Star,
2 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Goliath was a character who taunted and terrified the entire army of Israel for 40 days.—
Bryan Alexander,
USA TODAY,
28 Feb. 2025
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According to Carranza, another student was taunting her daughter, saying that her family would be deported, and Jocelynn would be left alone.—
Ed Lavandera,
CNN,
20 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Both types of bass are highly efficient apex predators that hunt down baitfish and other prey.—
Derek Horner,
Outdoor Life,
27 Feb. 2025
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For animals like dogs, cats, and monkeys, ear movement helps track sounds, which is crucial for detecting predators or prey.—
Clarissa Brincat,
Popular Science,
27 Feb. 2025
Noun
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The Patriots nab him at No. 4 in Dane’s most recent mock.—
Jacob Robinson,
The Athletic,
24 Feb. 2025
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That’s why this mock is more about highlighting Washington’s needs.—
Ben Standig,
The Athletic,
14 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Common Sense Media was founded in 2003 as a nonprofit with an aim of reviewing and rating media and technology on its suitability for children.—
Peter Greene,
Forbes,
27 Feb. 2025
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But Thal’s recording was the first to be created in a professional capacity, with the aim of obtaining work for Dylan, said Bobby Livingston, an executive vice president at RR Auction.—
Colin Moynihan,
New York Times,
26 Feb. 2025
Verb
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That’s alarming consumer advocates and ethics experts, but is sure to delight the agency’s conservative opponents who view it as little more than an agency for harassing and micromanaging businesses.—
Allison Morrow,
CNN,
25 Feb. 2025
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Some Hamptons workers who are in the country legally have spent tens of thousands of dollars to file immigration paperwork but are afraid that they might be harassed or detained regardless of their status.—
Dionne Searcey,
New York Times,
23 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Target.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/target. Accessed 8 Mar. 2025.
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