as in boy
a male person who has not yet reached adulthood
the young boxer looked like a mere stripling next to his larger, more seasoned opponent
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Recent Examples of stripling
Mickey Mouse will celebrate his 100th birthday in 2028; now in its 46th year, ESPN is a mere stripling compared to the chipper murine in the funny red pants.
—
Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 18 Mar. 2026
More important still, thrilling these ultra-cultured striplings means winning over mom and dad, too.
—Devorah Lev-Tov, Robb Report, 25 June 2023
In Dunst’s hands, Antoinette is naturally happy, an excitable stripling full of life — the sort of protagonist you’d root for simply because the performer inhabiting her is so agreeable.
—Matthew Jacobs, Vulture, 2 Dec. 2021
Best-selling author Margaret George has just published a novel repackaging the Roman emperor Nero, whose name has evoked mayhem and recreational pyromania for the past 2,000 years, as a misunderstood stripling.
—Joe Queenan, WSJ, 5 May 2017
Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 18 Mar. 2026
More important still, thrilling these ultra-cultured striplings means winning over mom and dad, too.
—Devorah Lev-Tov, Robb Report, 25 June 2023
In Dunst’s hands, Antoinette is naturally happy, an excitable stripling full of life — the sort of protagonist you’d root for simply because the performer inhabiting her is so agreeable.
—Matthew Jacobs, Vulture, 2 Dec. 2021
Best-selling author Margaret George has just published a novel repackaging the Roman emperor Nero, whose name has evoked mayhem and recreational pyromania for the past 2,000 years, as a misunderstood stripling.
—Joe Queenan, WSJ, 5 May 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stripling
Noun
-
The menu at the midtown location paid homage to many of the customer favorites from the original Mother, such as the mushroom po’ boy, nut burger and chile verde, but Venditti always puts his own spin on them.—
Sean Timberlake,
Sacbee.com,
24 June 2026
-
Three boys turned a Waymo ride into a wind-in-their-hair joyride late Friday afternoon in Santa Monica.—
Andrew J. Campa,
Los Angeles Times,
24 June 2026
Noun
-
Aussie Rules lads are almost clothed enough to enter a convenience store.—
Ian Nicholas Quillen,
Forbes.com,
18 June 2026
-
The unanimous rave reviews convinced him this wasn’t just about his head being turned by four pretty lads, one in particular.—
Andy Greene,
Rolling Stone,
18 June 2026
Noun
-
McKenna's death gained national attention after her disappearance in the middle of the night set off a frantic search for the teenager.—
Angela George,
USA Today,
19 June 2026
-
Jace is a prime example of an annoying TV teenager — stop questioning every decision your mom makes, dude!—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
19 June 2026
Noun
-
Take a bunch of kids who’ve never been out of East Tennessee.—
Holly Gleason,
Los Angeles Times,
18 June 2026
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Your support will help ease the financial burden and give Pam and her kids a sense of hope and security.—
Natalie Neysa Alund,
USA Today,
18 June 2026
Noun
-
Despite being a high achiever, Veena Dinavahi struggled with anxiety and depression as an adolescent.—
Rich Schapiro,
NBC news,
20 June 2026
-
These provisions also do not guarantee that an adolescent will be granted an exception.—
Sunaya Krishnapura,
STAT,
10 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Stripling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stripling. Accessed 24 Jun. 2026.
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