1
as in mouth
the jaws of a bird together with their hornlike covering a finch cracking seeds in its nib

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2
as in tip
the last and usually sharp or tapering part of something long and narrow make sure the nib has been sharpened before you try to cut anything

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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 nib The applicator was a flexible plastic nib rather than a cushioned tip, which allowed for precise application but sometimes went on a bit unevenly. The Glamour Editors, Glamour, 21 July 2025 That curl makes the nib of a fountain pen dry and scratchy. Benjamin Hale june 23, Literary Hub, 23 June 2025 Almond Sable Cookies with Cacao Nibs This vegan version of a rich, delicate, crumbly sable, the classic French cookie named for its tender texture, uses only a handful of ingredients, including coconut oil, almond meal, sugar, flour and cacao nibs. Betty Hallock, Los Angeles Times, 6 Apr. 2025 Older readers of this article may have learned to write in such a way (guilty yer honor) – dipping the nib of a pen into an inkwell, and scratching out the words, hoping to have sufficient ink to complete a word, without picking up too much ink and smudging your masterpiece. Mike Hanlon, New Atlas, 6 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for nib
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nib
Noun
  • Sanders actually pantomimed his answers, moving his mouth with no words coming out and smiling throughout.
    Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 1 Oct. 2025
  • Bolding responds as his daughter takes a step back and puts a hand over her mouth.
    Hannah Sacks, PEOPLE, 1 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Camellia dieback and canker disease is characterized by sudden wilting and yellowing of the foliage and die-back of branch tips.
    Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 1 Oct. 2025
  • That outlet said that Crimestoppers tips and data analysis from Salazar's phone led police to him.
    Peter D'Abrosca, FOXNews.com, 1 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • According to the study, their skull includes a rigid beak, a flexible hyoid bone wrapping around the skull, and a layer of spongy bone between the hyoid and skull bone.
    Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 23 Sep. 2025
  • When angry or threatened, the owls make a rapid clicking sound with their beaks.
    Joan Morris, Mercury News, 22 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Since the end of the second quarter, the Club has sent out dozens of trade alerts.
    Morgan Chittum, CNBC, 1 Oct. 2025
  • Both parties increasingly weaponize selective statistics, exaggerated claims, or misleading framings to advance their own political ends.
    Kate Plummer, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Here, Lloyd clamps a muzzle — part fetish club, part Bane — over Lucky’s mouth while Pozzo pushes him in a wheelchair (the actor, Michael Patrick Thornton, uses a chair).
    Sara Holdren, Vulture, 29 Sep. 2025
  • Something many people forget is that light recoil is as great an asset for a cartridge to have as high velocity, heavy bullets, and staggering amounts of muzzle energy.
    Jack O'Connor, Outdoor Life, 24 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Following the unexpected visit, the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) has placed a large bear trap in the Lemis’ front yard, hoping to lure the apex predator in with donuts for a safe removal, per NBC Connecticut.
    Angel Saunders, PEOPLE, 25 Sep. 2025
  • This time of year, these apex predators are packing on the pounds by feasting on calorie-rich sockeye salmon at Brooks Falls.
    Natalie Krebs, Outdoor Life, 25 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Before, actors would in be suits and the actor would wear a giant mask so the Predator's mandibles and jaws were controlled by filmmakers.
    Brian Truitt, USA Today, 26 July 2025
  • Brawnier females with powerful mandibles act as bodyguards, protecting the colony from intruders.
    Jack Knudson, Discover Magazine, 22 July 2025
Noun
  • Then my nose, feeling air go in and out and smelling the aroma of my room.
    Jack Korngold, Rolling Stone, 28 Sep. 2025
  • But even though breathing through your nose is better than breathing through your mouth, taping your mouth shut isn’t the best way to fix the issue.
    Preston Fore, Fortune, 27 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Nib.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nib. Accessed 2 Oct. 2025.

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