subtweet

American  

[suhb-tweet] / ˈsʌbˌtwit /

noun

1. (on the Twitter website) a hostile or otherwise negative post that is addressed to or about a particular person but does not mention the person’s username or does not name the person at all.

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verb (used with or without object)

1. to post such a message or tweet about (someone) on Twitter.

   I wish she’d stop subtweeting and talk to me in person.

Usage

What does subtweet mean? A subtweet is a negative post on the social media site Twitter, targeting a certain person without directly mentioning them or their username.

Other Word Forms

• subtweeter
  noun

Etymology

Origin of subtweet

2009; sub(liminal) + tweet (in the sense “a message posted on Twitter”)

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

subtweet

Compound words are on the rise in the book with deadname, pageview, fintech, allyship, babymoon and subtweet.

From Seattle Times ● Nov. 16, 2022

Still, the Lend feature does seem similar to an interest-bearing bond, which would typically be regulated as securities as an apparent subtweet from the SEC pointed out.

From The Verge ● Sep. 20, 2021

These details are both important and relevant to the figurative subtweet Bravo is sending through “Zola.”

From Salon ● Jul. 5, 2021

But there’s also another, more encouraging way to interpret Barr’s comments: Maybe it was all just one giant, coded subtweet of the boss.

From Washington Post ● Oct. 14, 2019

Plus, McConnell knows a subtweet when he sees one, and this, from Stewart’s statement at the hearing, is definitely a subtweet:

From Slate ● Jun. 18, 2019