Barb example sentences
Related (13): barbed, barbs, spike, thorn, prickle, jab, insult, taunt, quip, sting, hook, point, projection
"Barb" Example Sentences
Common Phrases
- barbed wire
- barb and hook
- throw a barb
- sharp barb
- cutting barb
- barb of criticism
- without a barb
- barbed comment
- barbed remark
- barb in one's words
Examples by Level
A1
- The fish hook has a barb on it.
- The barb on the wire is very sharp.
A2
- She felt the barb of his unkind words during the conversation.
- The fence has a barb that can hurt you if you touch it.
B1
- His comment seemed friendly at first, but there was definitely a barb hidden in it.
- The barb caught on her clothes as she climbed over the fence in the dark.
B2
- She delivered the barb with such casual precision that he didn't realize he'd been insulted until later.
- The fishing line got tangled around a barb of metal, and he spent an hour trying to free it.
C1
- Beneath the surface pleasantries lay a barb so expertly placed that only the intended target would feel its sting.
- The barb in his observation about her choices revealed more about his own insecurities than hers.
C2
- There was a particular cruelty to the way he embedded each barb within what appeared to be genuine concern.
- She understood that the most effective barb was always the one that contained just enough truth to make denial impossible.
Examples by Scenario
🏠 Everyday Life
- My kid got a barb from the rose bush stuck in his hand and wouldn't stop crying.
- The barb on the fence tore a hole in my jeans when I squeezed through.
💼 Workplace
- During the meeting, he managed to slip in a barb about her project timeline that made everyone go quiet.
- The barb in his email about her presentation was subtle enough that she couldn't complain about it directly.
📊 Business
- The competitor's marketing campaign included a barb aimed directly at our pricing model.
- The analyst's report contained a barb suggesting that management had ignored warning signs for months.
🛒 Buying / Shopping
- The price tag had a barb on it that scratched my finger when I tried to remove it.
- I bought the barbed wire fence because the regular fence wasn't keeping the deer out.
✈️ Travel
- The hostel's barbed wire fence made it feel more like a prison than a place to stay.
- Getting my backpack caught on a barb at the airport security checkpoint delayed me by ten minutes.
📚 Education
- The teacher's barb about his spelling was meant to be funny, but it embarrassed him in front of the whole class.
- The history textbook included a barb about the previous administration's policies that felt unnecessary.
❤️ Relationships
- She still remembers the barb he threw at her five years ago about her weight.
- The barb in his voice when he mentioned her ex made it clear he was still jealous.
📰 News / Politics
- The senator's speech included a barb directed at her opponent that the media immediately picked up on.
- The editorial contained a barb about the government's handling of the crisis that sparked debate.
💻 Technology
- The barb on the charging cable kept getting caught on things in my bag.
- The app's algorithm seemed designed to deliver a personalized barb to every user based on their browsing history.
📝 Formal Writing
- The researcher's conclusion included a subtle barb suggesting that previous studies had overlooked critical variables.
- The legal document contained a barb in the language that disadvantaged one party significantly.