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
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of target
Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 25 Apr. 2026
Elsewhere in Weekend Update, targets for jokes included Meghan Markle, Ellen DeGeneres, Russell Brand and Michael Jackson.
—Leo Barraclough, Variety, 25 Apr. 2026
Liz Napolitano, CNBC, 19 Apr. 2026
No other president has openly told his attorney general to target specific critics in the way Trump has, according to Rothenberg.
—Aysha Bagchi, USA Today, 19 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for target
Noun
That source confirmed on Friday that Yormark has been Miami’s target for months.
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 25 Apr. 2026
Elsewhere in Weekend Update, targets for jokes included Meghan Markle, Ellen DeGeneres, Russell Brand and Michael Jackson.
—Leo Barraclough, Variety, 25 Apr. 2026
Verb
Monster could accelerate its growth by bolstering its presence in Europe and Latin America, while new brand acquisitions would allow the firm to target more female customers as well as wellness and price-focused shoppers.
—Liz Napolitano, CNBC, 19 Apr. 2026
No other president has openly told his attorney general to target specific critics in the way Trump has, according to Rothenberg.
—Aysha Bagchi, USA Today, 19 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for target
Recent Examples of Synonyms for target
Noun
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Nataliia had gone to the bus station, where soldiers were spraying foam to contain the nuclear fallout, and to the hospital, where men in white coats were unloading victims on stretchers from the backs of ambulances.—
Lizzie Johnson,
New Yorker,
25 Apr. 2026
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At the time, Esperanza-Pacheco was working as a pastor at God’s Lighthouse of Truth in Richmond, where the victim and her family were members and had developed a friendship with him.—
Jason Green,
Mercury News,
25 Apr. 2026
Noun
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As the Ado Annie-like Betsy, a horny teen-ager whose father owns a shotgun, Kurtz is playing a character who should be, and kind of is, a one-joke punch line.—
Emily Nussbaum,
New Yorker,
30 Apr. 2026
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Complaints about hospital food are certainly not new, and Jell-O and fruit juice are often the butt of related jokes.—
Stephanie Armour,
CBS News,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Hryckowian, meanwhile, has just one shot on goal in four games despite playing on the top line.—
Mark Lazerus,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
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The goal is to build muscle memory before a real emergency.—
Spencer Wilson,
CBS News,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Edwards taunted Nuggets fans at the end of Minnesota’s Game 7 win in 2024, getting on Jokic’s nerves in the process.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
25 Apr. 2026
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Myrsiades said Hennessey spotted a white Mercedes SUV linked to a suspect accused of making bomb threats and taunting local law enforcement agencies.—
Madeleine Wright,
CBS News,
22 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Their diet varies with location and season, depending on what prey is available.—
Samantha Agate,
Miami Herald,
29 Apr. 2026
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Because opossums are one of the most common prey species for Burmese pythons, scientists expect that some of the collared animals will eventually be eaten by the snakes, effectively turning the opossums into indirect tracking devices.—
Hanna Wickes,
Kansas City Star,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Post-draft outlook Don’t let the draft-weekend optimism fool you — the Cardinals have a long road ahead.—
Doug Haller,
New York Times,
26 Apr. 2026
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There is an old saying that people who represent themselves in court effectively have a fool for a lawyer.—
Caroline Kubzansky,
Chicago Tribune,
25 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Meanwhile, on Wednesday evening, Carr posted a riposte to a commenter on X who took aim at the FCC chief.—
Todd Spangler,
Variety,
30 Apr. 2026
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While other legislatures have similarly ambitious aims — the EU and UK both plan to reach net zero by 2050, which functionally requires ending fossil fuels.—
Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson,
semafor.com,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Supporters say Assembly Bill 2624, introduced by Assemblymember Mia Bonta, a Bay Area Democrat, aims to protect employees and volunteers at immigration support services facilities from being doxxed or harassed.—
Linh Tat,
Daily News,
24 Apr. 2026
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As a whole, Minnesota’s lengthy, harassing defense is causing Denver issues.—
Jace Frederick,
Twin Cities,
24 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Target.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/target. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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