1
as in bitter
causing intense discomfort to one's skin
a biting wind that only the toughest football fans were willing to endure
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in sarcastic
marked by the use of wit that is intended to cause hurt feelings
the biting comments by the pundits about the government's inaction
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of biting
Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 13 Nov. 2025
Outdoor treatments are designed to reduce mosquitoes, ticks, and other biting insects that can make backyards difficult to enjoy.
—Connie Etemadi, USA Today, 7 Nov. 2025
Susannah Bryan, Sun Sentinel, 2 Jan. 2026
During this timeframe, wind gusts could get as highs as 50 mph at times, leading to biting windchills in the teens and single-digit temperatures.
—Matthew Villafane, CBS News, 29 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for biting
Adjective
Known for its biting commentary on race, politics, and culture, The Boondocks earned a dedicated and critically appreciative fan base.
—Verb
Pet owners will be expected to remain in control of their dog to prevent biting, fighting and excessive barking.
—Recent Examples of Synonyms for biting
Adjective
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He was chosen as commissioner in October 1989 over New Orleans general manager Jim Finks after a bitter fight highlighting the differences between the NFL's old guard and newer owners.—
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Arugula Arugula is an aromatic, slightly bitter leafy green.—
Adjective
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The Marriage Story star first appeared as a child in an uncredited role in the Scorsese film — Ladd's first taste of major acclaim as the sarcastic waitress Flo.—
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The kicking game was so bad that Freeman sounded like Brian Kelly at his sarcastic best when asked about Noah Burnette, Erik Schmidt and Marcello Diomede combining to miss two extra points and one field goal.—
Verb
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But there’s a big difference between knowing that a relative is a pill and loving them through it and being rudely insulted by a relative and just sucking it up.—
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Then there's the squat effect when the ship is in shallow water where the passage of the ship can cause a drop in pressure, sucking the hull downward.—
Adjective
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The numbers mark a sharp reversal from a spike in violence during the worst years of the COVID-19 pandemic.—
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The blazer of Middleton’s look included sharp shoulders with sinuous lapels and angular pockets at the waist.—
Adjective
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But it’s set apart from the rest of her work by a long, satirical section sending up gothic fiction and its fans.—
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But the tone is often more satiric than somber, Park highlighting Man-su’s foibles and insecurities.—
Adjective
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The more stinging irony here is that Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping probably approved these public statements with a chuckle.—
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Justice Benjamin Curtis, from Massachusetts, wrote a stinging dissent and resigned from the Court shortly afterward, reportedly in part because of the decision.—
Adjective
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Half of my drawing was in black and white, showing a woman walking away from barbed wire and a prison tower.—
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Who knew barbed wire could be so interesting?—
Adjective
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One spring day in Paris many years ago, my wife, Diana, a most penetrating photographer, capable of seeing like no one else, decided, as an experiment, to walk across the city blindfolded.—
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Since the war began in Gaza, more than six months ago, the Israeli magazine +972 has published some of the most penetrating reporting on the Israel Defense Forces’ conduct.—
Cite this Entry
“Biting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/biting. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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