as in biting
causing intense discomfort to one's skin
these cold, stinging winds are not just a discomfort—they can be dangerous to exposed flesh
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in gouging
to charge (someone) too much for goods or services
a nightclub that's been stinging patrons for years
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in plucking
to rob by the use of trickery or threats
swindlers who sting unwary tourists by posing as officials demanding money
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of stinging
Dermot Corrigan,
New York Times,
27 May 2026
Coming up short in the 2025 ISL boys lacrosse championship left a stinging sensation for Tabor Academy.
—
Brendan Connelly,
Boston Herald,
17 May 2026
Parasitoids are non-stinging wasps, flies, and other insects that develop on or in a host, eventually killing it.
—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
9 May 2026
My eyes, raw and stinging, now filled with their own salty tears.
—
Angela Andaloro,
PEOPLE,
4 May 2026
The scientists found both were composed of a fibrous material that contained many stinging cells called spirocysts, which belong exclusively to the branch of aquatic invertebrates known as cnidarians.
—
Adam Kovac,
Scientific American,
23 Apr. 2026
Andrew Lichtenstein | Corbis News | Getty Images The Senate on Thursday overturned a mining moratorium in Minnesota's Superior National Forest, a boon for a Chilean mining company subsidiary and a stinging loss for environmentalists trying to protect the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.
—
Garrett Downs,
CNBC,
16 Apr. 2026
What’s known as burning or stinging nettles has hairs along the stems that release a stinging, burning compound when touched.
—
Tom MacCubbin,
The Orlando Sentinel,
11 Apr. 2026
Beekeeping Frisco businessman Nate Sheets had a comfortable lead over three-term Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller in a heated Republican primary Tuesday after roughly half the votes were tallied, a stinging initial victory in a race roiled by an unusual split at the top of the GOP.
—
Lilly Kersh,
Dallas Morning News,
3 Mar. 2026
Gary Bedore
june 22,
Kansas City Star,
22 June 2026
Pets who have an encounter with stinging caterpillars will need a vet visit ASAP.
—
Arricca Elin Sansone,
Southern Living,
22 June 2026
Ants, mosquitoes, ticks, termites, stinging insects, and house flies are the most common and costly summer pests.
—
Sharon Wu,
USA Today,
16 June 2026
All that said, the inability of Illinois’ political leaders to get their act together so as to put an alternative on the table in the face of Indiana’s aggressive move to poach the Bears is a stinging indictment of this state’s politicians.
—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
5 June 2026
Fallout from the scandal, compounded by the Labor Party’s stinging local election losses, has tanked Starmer’s poll numbers.
—
Jill Lawless,
Los Angeles Times,
1 June 2026
Sacramento Stingers California’s capital city has a number of prominent entities represented by flying, stinging insects.
—
Camila Pedrosa,
Sacbee.com,
29 May 2026
One is that the stinging rhetoric will leave lasting images in our minds, even following the inauguration.
—
Dp Opinion,
Denver Post,
29 May 2026
Wirtz went out for a meal with Salah, Dominik Szoboszlai and Milos Kerkez last weekend, some 24 hours after the Egyptian had caused a stir with his stinging critique of the team’s performances on social media.
—
James Pearce,
New York Times,
23 May 2026
Adjective
Jean-Philippe Mateta, named in France’s World Cup squad earlier this month, reacted superbly after Rayo keeper Augusto Batalla could only parry a stinging Wharton shot from the edge of the box.
—
Dermot Corrigan,
New York Times,
27 May 2026
Coming up short in the 2025 ISL boys lacrosse championship left a stinging sensation for Tabor Academy.
—
Brendan Connelly,
Boston Herald,
17 May 2026
Parasitoids are non-stinging wasps, flies, and other insects that develop on or in a host, eventually killing it.
—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
9 May 2026
My eyes, raw and stinging, now filled with their own salty tears.
—
Angela Andaloro,
PEOPLE,
4 May 2026
The scientists found both were composed of a fibrous material that contained many stinging cells called spirocysts, which belong exclusively to the branch of aquatic invertebrates known as cnidarians.
—
Adam Kovac,
Scientific American,
23 Apr. 2026
Andrew Lichtenstein | Corbis News | Getty Images The Senate on Thursday overturned a mining moratorium in Minnesota's Superior National Forest, a boon for a Chilean mining company subsidiary and a stinging loss for environmentalists trying to protect the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.
—
Garrett Downs,
CNBC,
16 Apr. 2026
What’s known as burning or stinging nettles has hairs along the stems that release a stinging, burning compound when touched.
—
Tom MacCubbin,
The Orlando Sentinel,
11 Apr. 2026
Beekeeping Frisco businessman Nate Sheets had a comfortable lead over three-term Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller in a heated Republican primary Tuesday after roughly half the votes were tallied, a stinging initial victory in a race roiled by an unusual split at the top of the GOP.
—
Lilly Kersh,
Dallas Morning News,
3 Mar. 2026
Verb
Former Kansas guard Kevin McCullar wore goggles in the New York Knicks locker room to protect his eyes from stinging during a champagne-spraying celebration after NY’s 94-90 NBA title-clinching victory over San Antonio on June 13 in Texas.
—
Gary Bedore
june 22,
Kansas City Star,
22 June 2026
Pets who have an encounter with stinging caterpillars will need a vet visit ASAP.
—
Arricca Elin Sansone,
Southern Living,
22 June 2026
Ants, mosquitoes, ticks, termites, stinging insects, and house flies are the most common and costly summer pests.
—
Sharon Wu,
USA Today,
16 June 2026
All that said, the inability of Illinois’ political leaders to get their act together so as to put an alternative on the table in the face of Indiana’s aggressive move to poach the Bears is a stinging indictment of this state’s politicians.
—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
5 June 2026
Fallout from the scandal, compounded by the Labor Party’s stinging local election losses, has tanked Starmer’s poll numbers.
—
Jill Lawless,
Los Angeles Times,
1 June 2026
Sacramento Stingers California’s capital city has a number of prominent entities represented by flying, stinging insects.
—
Camila Pedrosa,
Sacbee.com,
29 May 2026
One is that the stinging rhetoric will leave lasting images in our minds, even following the inauguration.
—
Dp Opinion,
Denver Post,
29 May 2026
Wirtz went out for a meal with Salah, Dominik Szoboszlai and Milos Kerkez last weekend, some 24 hours after the Egyptian had caused a stir with his stinging critique of the team’s performances on social media.
—
James Pearce,
New York Times,
23 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stinging
Adjective
-
So Google isn’t trying to release more biting mosquitoes into neighborhoods.
-
Netflix’s big comedy bet might be the Dan Levy–Rachel Sennott co-creation Big Mistakes; the biting, farcical series about adult siblings who get caught up in the drug business plays like Weeds crossed with The Other Two.
Verb
-
To absorb expenses without gouging their customers, leaders must build fiercely lean teams and optimize their talent.
-
Michigan's attorney general has opened a price gouging investigation into a BP gas station near Detroit Metro Airport that prosecutors say charged travelers significantly more for gas than nearby stations.
Verb
-
As with the studio version, the track began with Lifeson plucking out a delicate intro on a nylon-string guitar before blasting into monster electric riffs.
-
Vogue’s beauty shopping editor Kiana Murden became a devotee after plucking it from the beauty closet and using it religiously.
Adjective
-
Looking for a silver lining Some analysts fear that the friction over the 250th celebrations, especially the national ones, may end up reinforcing the nation's bitter divide rather than providing a respite from it.
-
This inverts the usual analysis of American politics, that our bitter culture wars will always resolve down to questions like affordability.
Verb
-
Either way, Angela’s slip is definitely showing in terms of behind-the-scenes messiness (seriously, enough is enough with the cheating stories!
-
Everybody says Democrats are cheating!
Verb
-
While the expiration of the enhanced ACA subsidies made insurance more expensive for millions of consumers, experts say other health costs, such as prescription drugs, medical tests and hospital bills, are also squeezing consumers.
-
Labor, rent, insurance, utilities, equipment and packaging are all squeezing already-thin margins.
Adjective
-
Tourism in Albania has seen a sharp increase in recent years, with people relishing the nation’s vast, undeveloped coastline.
-
Netanyahu, 76, has spent decades mastering political theater, sharp messaging and grand performances.
Verb
-
Across the hall, the primary bath boasts similar indulgences with a sauna, soaking tub and triple-size rainwater shower.
-
The ensuite bathroom has his and hers dressing areas, a steam shower, soaking tub and a heated floor.
Cite this Entry
“Stinging.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stinging. Accessed 30 Jun. 2026.
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