In a small way, they stand out pointedly (5)
I believe the answer is:
barbs
'way they stand out pointedly' is the definition.
The definition suggests an adverb but the answer is not.
'in a small' is the wordplay.
I cannot quite see how this works, but
'a' is within the answer.
'small' could be 's' (abbreviation - e.g. clothes size) and 's' is located in the answer.
This may be the basis of clue (or it may be nonsense).
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for barbs that I've seen before include "Hurtful remarks" , "Sedatives" , "Thorns or pointed remarks" .)