stabbed; stabbing
1
: to wound or pierce by the thrust of a pointed object or weapon
: to thrust or give a wound with or as if with a pointed weapon
stabber
noun
Synonyms
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
Christina Coulter, Fox News, 19 Sep. 2023
The ordeal began about 6:30 p.m. when Helena police and fire medics learned a man with several stab wounds walked into Fire Station #3 on South Shades Crest Road.
—Carol Robinson | Crobinson@al.com, al, 18 Sep. 2023
Both females were found with what appeared to be multiple stab wounds.
—Ingrid Vasquez, Peoplemag, 15 Sep. 2023
Officers found a woman with multiple stab wounds and began rendering aid.
—Nwa Democrat-Gazette, Arkansas Online, 14 Sep. 2023
There deputies found John Edward Leura, 44, of Aberdeen, suffering from a stab wound to the upper body.
—Katia Parks, Baltimore Sun, 11 Sep. 2023
On June 15, 2009, Joanne Witt was found with at least 20 stab wounds inside her El Dorado Hills, Calif., home.
—Nicole Acosta, Peoplemag, 11 Sep. 2023
Authorities found the victim — later identified as Jesse Rodriguez, 23 — suffering from a stab wound.
—Jeremy Childs, Los Angeles Times, 9 Sep. 2023
Smith’s body was found inside a room at the Town & Country Motel, with what investigators said were several apparent stab wounds.
—Warren Kulo | Wkulo@al.com, al, 8 Sep. 2023
Maryclaire Dale and Marc Levy, Anchorage Daily News, 12 Sep. 2023
But Cavalcante murdered Brandão in April 2021, prosecutors said, stabbing her 38 times in front of her two young children.
—Dakin Andone, CNN, 12 Sep. 2023
He had been sentenced to life in prison for fatally stabbing an ex-girlfriend in 2021, allegedly to stop her from telling police that he’s wanted in a slaying in his home country of Brazil.
—Marc Levy and Claudia Lauer, Chicago Tribune, 11 Sep. 2023
In that incident, a student was hospitalized after being stabbed multiple times inside the school, and a fellow student was arrested and charged.
—Christopher Huffaker, BostonGlobe.com, 11 Sep. 2023
Detectives determined that the victim was fighting with 51-year-old Randell Wilson when Wilson stabbed him, police said.
—Sarah Bahari, Dallas News, 10 Sep. 2023
The Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office said that at about 9:50 a.m., deputies went to the 42000 block of Pilgrim Square in the South Riding, Va., after a man had been stabbed.
—Olivia Diaz, Washington Post, 8 Sep. 2023
At one point in 2022, the jail averaged more than one stabbing per day, and a search by the sheriff's office uncovered more than 200 weapons inside the main facility, according to Clarke.
—Minnah Arshad, USA TODAY, 1 Sep. 2023
He was stabbed in the leg and hospitalized in fair condition, the sheriff said.
—Tim Stelloh, NBC News, 31 Aug. 2023
See More
Noun
Among Haviland's injuries were five stab wounds to the chest – three perforating his left lung and another hitting his heart – and blunt force trauma to the head, per police documents.
—Christina Coulter, Fox News, 19 Sep. 2023
The ordeal began about 6:30 p.m. when Helena police and fire medics learned a man with several stab wounds walked into Fire Station #3 on South Shades Crest Road.
—Carol Robinson | Crobinson@al.com, al, 18 Sep. 2023
Both females were found with what appeared to be multiple stab wounds.
—Ingrid Vasquez, Peoplemag, 15 Sep. 2023
Officers found a woman with multiple stab wounds and began rendering aid.
—Nwa Democrat-Gazette, Arkansas Online, 14 Sep. 2023
There deputies found John Edward Leura, 44, of Aberdeen, suffering from a stab wound to the upper body.
—Katia Parks, Baltimore Sun, 11 Sep. 2023
On June 15, 2009, Joanne Witt was found with at least 20 stab wounds inside her El Dorado Hills, Calif., home.
—Nicole Acosta, Peoplemag, 11 Sep. 2023
Authorities found the victim — later identified as Jesse Rodriguez, 23 — suffering from a stab wound.
—Jeremy Childs, Los Angeles Times, 9 Sep. 2023
Smith’s body was found inside a room at the Town & Country Motel, with what investigators said were several apparent stab wounds.
—Warren Kulo | Wkulo@al.com, al, 8 Sep. 2023
Verb
Cavalcante, 34, broke out of the Chester County jail Aug. 31 while awaiting transfer to a state prison to serve a life sentence for fatally stabbing an ex-girlfriend in 2021.
—Maryclaire Dale and Marc Levy, Anchorage Daily News, 12 Sep. 2023
But Cavalcante murdered Brandão in April 2021, prosecutors said, stabbing her 38 times in front of her two young children.
—Dakin Andone, CNN, 12 Sep. 2023
He had been sentenced to life in prison for fatally stabbing an ex-girlfriend in 2021, allegedly to stop her from telling police that he’s wanted in a slaying in his home country of Brazil.
—Marc Levy and Claudia Lauer, Chicago Tribune, 11 Sep. 2023
In that incident, a student was hospitalized after being stabbed multiple times inside the school, and a fellow student was arrested and charged.
—Christopher Huffaker, BostonGlobe.com, 11 Sep. 2023
Detectives determined that the victim was fighting with 51-year-old Randell Wilson when Wilson stabbed him, police said.
—Sarah Bahari, Dallas News, 10 Sep. 2023
The Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office said that at about 9:50 a.m., deputies went to the 42000 block of Pilgrim Square in the South Riding, Va., after a man had been stabbed.
—Olivia Diaz, Washington Post, 8 Sep. 2023
At one point in 2022, the jail averaged more than one stabbing per day, and a search by the sheriff's office uncovered more than 200 weapons inside the main facility, according to Clarke.
—Minnah Arshad, USA TODAY, 1 Sep. 2023
He was stabbed in the leg and hospitalized in fair condition, the sheriff said.
—Tim Stelloh, NBC News, 31 Aug. 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'stab.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Noun
Middle English stabbe
First Known Use
Noun
15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Verb
1530, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1
Time Traveler
The first known use of stab was
in the 15th century
Phrases Containing stab
Dictionary Entries Near stab
Cite this Entry
“Stab.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stab. Accessed 29 Sep. 2023.
Copy Citation
Kids Definition
stab
1 of 2 noun1
: a wound produced by a pointed object or weapon
2
: a thrust of a pointed weapon
3
: effort sense 2, try
I'll take a stab at it
stab
2 of 2 verb
stabbed; stabbing
1
: to wound or pierce by the thrust of a pointed object or weapon
stabber
noun
Medical Definition
stab
1 of 2 noun1
: a wound produced by a pointed object or weapon
2
a
: a culture medium solidified in an upright column in a tube to reduce the surface to a minimum compare slant
b
stab
2 of 2 transitive verb
stabbed; stabbing
: to wound or pierce by the thrust of a pointed object or weapon
More from Merriam-Webster on stab
Nglish: Translation of stab for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of stab for Arabic Speakers
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