Meaning & use
barb
A sharp, pointed part that curves backward, or a cutting, critical remark.
See it in a sentence
The fish hook's barb made it painful to remove once it caught skin.
She ended the meeting with a barb about his repeated lateness.
A note on using this word
The literal sense (a pointed part) and the figurative sense (a sharp comment) are both very common, so context matters.
Words with a similar meaning
hookgibejibe
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Make it your own
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