as in to taunt
to attack repeatedly with mean put-downs or insults
the players were heckled by disappointed fans
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of heckle
The audience was far calmer than at the most raucous town halls held during the first weeks of the Trump administration, where rage boiled over into shouting matches and heckling as Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency slashed through federal agencies and departments.
—
Laura J. Nelson, Los Angeles Times, 23 Apr. 2025
Whiteley and company don’t shy from the moment that Duran calls a heckling fan the f-word mid-game and several of the non-playing talking heads — sportswriters, various Fenway employees — are unflinchingly critical.
—Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 8 Apr. 2025
He’s been heckled (by idiots), shot at (by bigger idiots), rejected for roles and flopped more often than a European soccer player in the World Cup.
—Bailey Richards, People.com, 21 May 2025
Perez went viral over the weekend after a video showed him being followed and heckled by a crowd of Knicks fans in the streets of New York following their Game 6 win over the Boston Celtics.
—Tobias Bass, New York Times, 20 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for heckle
Laura J. Nelson, Los Angeles Times, 23 Apr. 2025
Whiteley and company don’t shy from the moment that Duran calls a heckling fan the f-word mid-game and several of the non-playing talking heads — sportswriters, various Fenway employees — are unflinchingly critical.
—Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 8 Apr. 2025
He’s been heckled (by idiots), shot at (by bigger idiots), rejected for roles and flopped more often than a European soccer player in the World Cup.
—Bailey Richards, People.com, 21 May 2025
Perez went viral over the weekend after a video showed him being followed and heckled by a crowd of Knicks fans in the streets of New York following their Game 6 win over the Boston Celtics.
—Tobias Bass, New York Times, 20 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for heckle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for heckle
Verb
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After taking care of business on the scoreboard, Matthew Tkachuk took care of business with Aho, taunting and pushing and trying to fight him in a manner Aho didn’t want and his Carolina teammates didn’t rush.—
Dave Hyde,
Sun Sentinel,
25 May 2025
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This isn’t just about the flashbacks to Reggie Miller taunting Spike Lee or those great battles from roughly three decades ago.—
Zach Harper,
New York Times,
19 May 2025
Verb
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For example, in an exclusive with Vanity Fair, Chu teases two brand new songs written by original Wicked composer Stephen Schwartz that will be featured in the film.—
DeVonne Goode,
Parents,
4 June 2025
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Richard first teased their move to his wife’s native Spain in an April 2024 interview with Vanity Fair Spain, despite having lived in the United States since they got married in 2018.—
Natalia Senanayake,
People.com,
4 June 2025
Verb
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Gervais also mocked himself during his acceptance speech.—
Wesley Stenzel,
EW.com,
31 May 2025
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A week later, Rogan mocked Hawass and weighed in again on skeptical theories over who built the pyramids.—
Amira El-Fekki,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Heckle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/heckle. Accessed 11 Jun. 2025.
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