as in offence
an act or expression showing scorn and usually intended to hurt another's feelings
the brickbats were flying the night that those two bitchy divas were seated at the same table
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Recent Examples of brickbat
India has faced brickbats for not testing enough despite the emphasis laid by the World Health Organisation.
—
Niharika Sharma, Quartz India, 22 Mar. 2020
His popularity has survived brickbats and thrived despite personal woes.
—Matthew Daly, Anchorage Daily News, 5 Feb. 2020
The task has made him a target of brickbats from some elements of the Republican party, including President Trump, who see the Mueller investigation as tainted by political bias.
—Sadie Gurman, WSJ, 19 Oct. 2018
Mr Johnson is hyper-sensitive to the brickbats of the liberal elite into which he was born, and sulked after the referendum when his neighbours in Islington turned against him.
—Boris Johnson, The Economist, 4 July 2019
And Mr Biden may not be up to dealing with the brickbats this guarantees him.
—Lexington | Washington, The Economist, 28 June 2019
Lenny, who was accustomed to brickbats, picked himself up and kept his conducting dates, but Jamie believes that Felicia, suffering from public humiliation, was never the same.
—David Denby, The New Yorker, 16 June 2018
Years of critical brickbats toughened Albee’s already tough hide and taught him to trust only himself.
—Jesse Green, New York Times, 21 Feb. 2018
Niharika Sharma, Quartz India, 22 Mar. 2020
His popularity has survived brickbats and thrived despite personal woes.
—Matthew Daly, Anchorage Daily News, 5 Feb. 2020
The task has made him a target of brickbats from some elements of the Republican party, including President Trump, who see the Mueller investigation as tainted by political bias.
—Sadie Gurman, WSJ, 19 Oct. 2018
Mr Johnson is hyper-sensitive to the brickbats of the liberal elite into which he was born, and sulked after the referendum when his neighbours in Islington turned against him.
—Boris Johnson, The Economist, 4 July 2019
And Mr Biden may not be up to dealing with the brickbats this guarantees him.
—Lexington | Washington, The Economist, 28 June 2019
Lenny, who was accustomed to brickbats, picked himself up and kept his conducting dates, but Jamie believes that Felicia, suffering from public humiliation, was never the same.
—David Denby, The New Yorker, 16 June 2018
Years of critical brickbats toughened Albee’s already tough hide and taught him to trust only himself.
—Jesse Green, New York Times, 21 Feb. 2018
Recent Examples of Synonyms for brickbat
Noun
-
In a workplace that’s increasingly remote, fast-paced, independent and ever-changing, these aren’t insults.—
Nirit Cohen,
Forbes.com,
3 Apr. 2025
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Recent White House comments and insults directed at NATO allies – as well as the military alliance itself – have raised alarm and confusion.—
Bradford Betz,
FOXNews.com,
3 Apr. 2025
Noun
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While slight disparities have been common in the past, the major difference sparked fury among Arab Muslims on social media, sarcasm and confusion for travelers.—
Ron Estes,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2025
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Investors did not appreciate his sarcasm either, and the stock is down 2.6% since GTC25 kicked off.—
Karl Freund,
Forbes,
21 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Video of the incident quickly circulated online and sparked outrage, with family members and neighbors questioning why police did not do more to de-escalate the situation or use non-lethal weapons.—
Christopher Cann,
USA Today,
9 Apr. 2025
-
The National Parks Service has restored the original Harriet Tubman material featured on a webpage about the Underground Railroad after garnering outrage over its removal.—
David Matthews,
New York Daily News,
9 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Brickbat.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/brickbat. Accessed 15 Apr. 2025.
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