stab

play

noun \ ˈstab \

Definition of stab

1 :a wound produced by a pointed object or weapon

2 a :a thrust of a pointed weapon

b :a jerky thrust

3 :effort, try

4 :a sudden sharp feeling

stabs of regret

See stab defined for English-language learners

See stab defined for kids

Examples of stab in a Sentence

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

Recent Examples of stab from the Web

How trade reshuffles the decks Researchers are taking a stab at quantifying one of the hottest questions in economics right now: how much do winners win and losers lose in the case of a trade shock?

— jeanna smialek, Bloomberg.com, "Free Trade’s Promise of Prosperity Comes With a Big Caveat," 29 Aug. 2017
The fight happened in an alley off 45th Street near Orange Avenue about 11:45 p.m. Officers found the 34-year-old injured man bleeding from stab wounds to the chest and head.

— lyndsay winkley, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Man critically injured in violent, City Heights stabbing," 27 Aug. 2017
Mr. Pizanis was suffering from stab wounds, according to Petz.

— david anderson, The Aegis, "Bel Air woman charged in connection with Havre de Grace man's death," 24 Aug. 2017
The robots could withstand cuts and stabs, and achieved nearly full performance once healed, the team reports today in Science Robotics.

— andrew wagner, Science | AAAS, "Watch this soft robot heal like Wolverine," 16 Aug. 2017
Two full days after mobs of white supremacists rallied in Charlottesville, Virginia, resulting in several fatalities, President Donald Trump took a second stab at addressing the issue.

— tess koman, Cosmopolitan, "It Took Him 2 Days, but Donald Trump Finally Condemned Nazis After the Charlottesville Attack," 14 Aug. 2017
A take a stab at predicting the depth chart based on how things have looked through Week 1.

— stefanie loh, The Seattle Times, "Predicting WSU’s offensive depth chart after the first week of fall camp," 9 Aug. 2017
On Nov. 4, 1908, barely 25, Gerstl burned an unknown number of papers, drawings and paintings and then managed to both stab and hang himself in his Vienna studio.

— roberta smith, New York Times, "Richard Gerstl’s Art Isn’t Even the Half of It," 19 July 2017
As the Republicans’ latest stab at a health-care bill falters, and the Trump administration fails to rack up a single significant legislative achievement, the president has thrown much of his public commentary into trashing CNN.

— sarah ellison, The Hive, "Has Trump Turned CNN into a House of Existential Dread?," 18 July 2017

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.

Origin and Etymology of stab

Middle English stabbe

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First Known Use: 15th century

See Words from the same year

stab Synonyms

Synonyms

perforation, pinhole, pinprick, punch, puncture, prick

Related Words

gouge, groove, hollow; break, cut, gash, incision, laceration, notch, rent, rip, rupture, slash, slit, tear

stab

verb

Definition of stab

stabbed; stabbing

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

—

stabber

noun

— stab in the back

:betray

See stab defined for English-language learners

Examples of stab in a Sentence

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

Recent Examples of stab from the Web

In 2012, Smith was accused of stabbing a man with a box cutter, but the charge was dismissed when the victim didn't show up to testify at trial, court documents show.

— ashley remkus, AL.com, "Blood trail leads Huntsville police to stabbing suspect with history of violence," 29 Aug. 2017
A Hammond woman is dead, the victim of a stabbing early Tuesday, authorities said.

— michelle l. quinn, Post-Tribune, "Authorities: Woman found stabbed to death in Hammond," 22 Aug. 2017
Gayle was stabbed 43 times with a butcher knife in her home.

— jason hancock, kansascity, "Gov. Greitens stays execution of Marcellus Williams in 1998 murder," 22 Aug. 2017
A man was stabbed outside a Normal Heights bar early Tuesday as his ex-girlfriend and her companion served him with a restraining order, police said.

— pauline repard, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Ex-boyfriend given restraining order, stabbed in Normal Heights," 8 Aug. 2017
A 31-year-old woman was stabbed Friday night in the West Garfield Park neighborhood.

— chicago tribune staff, chicagotribune.com, "Woman seriously injured during West Side stabbing," 5 Aug. 2017
A judge issued first-degree murder warrants for the two men on Monday, four days after Cornell-Duranleau was found stabbed to death inside an apartment where Lathem lives in Chicago’s River North neighborhood.

— don babwin, The Seattle Times, "Mother of Chicago stabbing victim asks for privacy," 3 Aug. 2017
Brooks was stabbed in the neck in the entry of a 40-unit apartment building at 4510 Colerain Ave. Monday.

— chris graves, Cincinnati.com, "Prosecutor: Mom lied and told 11-year-old son to lie in homicide case," 27 July 2017
Despite the frantic political activity in Westminster—the briefing, back-stabbing and plotting—the country has made remarkably little progress since the referendum in deciding what form Brexit should take.

— The Economist, "Britain faces up to Brexit," 22 July 2017

First Known Use of stab

1530

stab Synonyms

Synonyms

gore, harpoon, jab, lance, peck, pick, pierce, pink, puncture, run through, skewer, spear, spike, spit, impale, stick, transfix, transpierce

Related Words

spindle; perforate, riddle; bayonet, dirk, gimlet, pike, poniard, prong, quill; pinprick, poke, prick, punch, thrust; cut, knife, slice

STAB Defined for English Language Learners

stab

play

noun

Definition of stab for English Language Learners

: a wound made by a pointed weapon (such as a knife)
: a sudden, strong feeling of physical or emotional pain
: an attempt to do something successfully

stab

verb

Definition of stab for English Language Learners

: to wound (someone or something) with a pointed weapon (such as a knife)
: to quickly or suddenly push a pointed object into or toward someone or something

STAB Defined for Kids

stab

play

noun \ ˈstab \

Definition of stab for Students

1 :a wound produced by or as if by a pointed weapon

2 :²thrust 1

His first stab missed.

3 :²try, effort

Take a stab at the answer.

stab

verb

Definition of stab for Students

stabbed; stabbing

1 :to wound or pierce with or as if with a pointed weapon

2 :¹drive 4, thrust

… Humbug gingerly stabbed his cane in the air …
—Norton Juster, The Phantom Tollbooth

Medical Dictionary

stab

play

noun \ ˈstab \

medical Definition of stab

1 :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 culture

stab

transitive verb

medical Definition of stab

stabbed; stabbing

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

Learn More about stab

See words that rhyme with stab Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for stab Spanish Central: Translation of stab Nglish: Translation of stab for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of stab for Arabic speakers

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stab

Definition of stab

stabber

Examples of stab in a Sentence

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First Known Use of stab

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STAB Defined for English Language Learners

stab

Definition of stab for English Language Learners

stab

Definition of stab for English Language Learners

STAB Defined for Kids

stab

Definition of stab for Students

stab

Definition of stab for Students

Medical Dictionary

stab

medical Definition of stab

stab

medical Definition of stab

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