1
as in syringe
a slender hollow instrument by which material is put into or taken from the body through the skin
the nurse inserted the needle into his vein and collected some blood for testing
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
1
as in to tease
to attack repeatedly with mean put-downs or insults
we needled him mercilessly for thinking that he had any chance of being the prom date for the school's most popular girl
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in to dog
to subject (someone) to constant scoldings and sharp reminders
quit needling me! I'll take out the trash in a minute!
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of needle
Shayna Goldman,
New York Times,
23 June 2026
What would actually move the needle?
—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
21 June 2026
Frank Racioppi,
Forbes.com,
18 May 2026
Pratt has continued to needle Bass over her response to the wildfires.
—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
11 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for needle
Noun
Connor Bedard’s growth over the last year has already moved the needle higher.
—
Shayna Goldman,
New York Times,
23 June 2026
What would actually move the needle?
—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
21 June 2026
Verb
After all, there are 40,000 active podcasts, culling a top ten from that massive list is essentially needle meet haystack.
—
Frank Racioppi,
Forbes.com,
18 May 2026
Pratt has continued to needle Bass over her response to the wildfires.
—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
11 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for needle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for needle
Noun
-
Many such strategies, like syringe exchange or the use of fentanyl test strips, are widely acknowledged to be effective, while others, like supervised consumption, remain highly controversial.
-
Who puts a syringe in a Pepsi can?
Noun
-
Hostile and benevolent sexism are early indicators of deeper problems.
-
The researchers emphasized that these specific measurements are critical medical indicators of an older adult's future health.
Verb
-
Eric Schmidt, the former CEO of Google, took over as chief executive of Relativity a little more than a year ago, teasing new areas of focus such as orbital data centers, philanthropic space science ventures, and national security missions.
-
The singer has been teasing the song on tour this summer.
Verb
-
Stuck with no way out, and the Hexts’ head of security Jon (Lee Jae-yoon) dogging her steps, Cola hid the drive in an empty vodka bottle before she was forced down to the engine room to be held captive.
-
Putting those questions up front helps avoid the tenant frustrations that have dogged parts of the industry as operators expand, contract or change hands.
Noun
-
The three major indexes are coming off a winning week.
-
The air quality index is divided into six categories.
Verb
-
They are loaded with student debt and feel the hot breath of artificial Intelligence breathing down their necks, even as high mortgage rates taunt their dreams of home ownership.
-
The woman alleged that Jackson repeatedly refused to delete the video and then taunted her with it.
Verb
-
Rodríguez also said the country’s entire public and private healthcare network had been activated to treat the injured, urging doctors, nurses and other medical personnel to report immediately to their workplaces.
-
Weber copped to working with the Wu administration to craft his $8-9 million amendment package, which Wu’s chief financial officer urged the Council to accept without additional amendments to avoid layoffs and loss of revenue.
Verb
-
The problem with Fishback’s ideas is that many spring from rage-baiting rhetoric that has little to do with Florida’s current reality— but could attract people who might not otherwise vote.
-
Terminix is widely considered the industry leader for termites due to their pioneering history, use of Sentricon baiting systems, and superior structural repair guarantees.
Cite this Entry
“Needle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/needle. Accessed 27 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
