stab

noun

\ˈstab

Definition of stab

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : a wound produced by a pointed object or weapon

2a : a thrust of a pointed weapon

b : a jerky thrust

3 : effort, try

4 : a sudden sharp feeling stabs of regret

stab

verb

stabbed; stabbing

Definition of stab (Entry 2 of 2)

transitive verb

1 : to wound or pierce by the thrust of a pointed object or weapon

2 : thrust, drive

intransitive verb

: to thrust or give a wound with or as if with a pointed weapon

stab in the back

: betray

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Examples of stab in a Sentence

Noun

the injection left a small stab on her upper arm everybody will get a stab at solving the problem

Verb

He stabbed her with a dagger. The victim was stabbed in the chest five times.

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Police were called about 11:30 p.m. The waitress was taken to Piedmont Henry Hospital, where she was treated for the stab wound and other abrasions and released. — Chelsea Prince, ajc, "Applebee’s waitress was stabbed after she brushed up against diner’s leg, cops say," 13 July 2018 Surgery to evaluate internal injuries related to the stab wound resulted in an incision from the victim’s chest to his belly button that required 34 staples to close, the arrest warrant says. — Jesse Leavenworth, courant.com, "Manchester Police Arrest Suspect In Stabbing," 4 May 2018 Police said the stab wound was superficial and did not appear to have harmed the fetus. — Washington Post, "Second set of human bones found in SE," 28 Apr. 2018 Police say Tiffany's body had a laceration to her neck and stab wounds in her abdomen and chest. — Crimesider Staff, CBS News, "Cops: Woman accused of murdering wife called it a "mistake"," 6 Apr. 2018 Members of the court were shown a drawing of the multiple stabs to Wall's torso. — Jan M. Olsen, chicagotribune.com, "Murder trial begins for Danish inventor accused of killing journalist on submarine," 8 Mar. 2018 The latest stab is Il Solito, a new Italian-American restaurant taking over the former Pazzo space this spring. — Michael Russell, OregonLive.com, "New Italian-American restaurant coming to longtime Pazzo space with former Renata chef at the helm," 5 Mar. 2018 Like Navarro and Kudlow, Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., also called Trudeau's comments a stab in the back to Trump. — Maureen Groppe, USA TODAY, "Trump's team accuses Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of stabbing him in the back," 10 June 2018 Kavanagh made another fine defensive play in the sixth with a diving stab in the hole and a strong throw to first to thwart a potential rally. — James Weber, Cincinnati.com, "Highlands baseball rolls past Paintsville in state quarterfinals," 9 June 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

He was jailed during that time in Monroe, Louisiana, in relation to the stabbing death of Meing-Chen Hsiao, an international student from Taiwan. — Fox News, "Jurors see interview videos of man accused in burning death," 28 Sep. 2018 The extra security was mobilized in response to last year’s car and stabbing attack in Westminster by Khalid Masood, who killed five people. — Andy Ngo, WSJ, "A Visit to Islamic England," 29 Aug. 2018 Over the years, stabbing deaths have continued to rise in London, particularly among young adults. — Amira Rasool, Teen Vogue, "A Former Louis Vuitton Model Found Guilty of Murdering Fellow Male Model," 14 Aug. 2018 Police said the man then took a screwdriver out of his pocket and tried to stab three officers and an EMT. — Laney Ruckstuhl, BostonGlobe.com, "Boston police officers injured in struggle with Hyde Park man," 22 June 2018 Feliciano said Coggins also tried to stab him with a pair of scissors, according to a Holly Hill police report. — Dan Wine, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Pizza worker shoots, kills attacker wearing scary mask," 29 May 2018 Her body has been stabbed with scissors and there messages written on the wall in blood. — Amy Mackelden, Harper's BAZAAR, "The Riverdale Musical Episode Just Left a Major Character for Dead," 19 Apr. 2018 Incomes have declined for four consecutive years, and the pain is self-inflicted—Russians feel that Mr. Putin’s regime has stabbed them in the back. — Leon Aron, WSJ, "Russian Pensions and the Risk of War," 16 Oct. 2018 Police in Dallas, Texas are looking for a man who allegedly followed a woman walking her pet and stabbed her to death. — Nicole Darrah, Fox News, "Dallas man allegedly follows woman walking pet, stabs her to death," 24 Sep. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'stab.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.