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

Perry’s girlfriend was found inside the residence suffering from a stab wound to her lower back that was not life threatening, the statement said; the victim said Perry had stabbed her after an argument and fled with his two children. — — Dana Hedgpeth, Washington Post, "Maryland man charged with assault after allegedly stabbing his girlfriend in Gaithersburg," 11 July 2018 The premier convened a cabinet meeting on Friday at her Chequers country retreat to take another stab at agreeing to a proposal on trade with the EU. — BostonGlobe.com, "Rolls Royce adds to Brexit alarm sounded by UK manufacturers," 5 July 2018 An autopsy determined that Burke died of multiple stab and incised wounds. — Erin Mccarthy, Philly.com, "Woman charged in gruesome slaying of her grandmother in their Ambler home," 5 June 2018 Yet, a global group of scientists will take another stab at it, reports The Guardian. — Sean Rossman, USA TODAY, "Scientists, using DNA, will try again to find the Loch Ness monster," 23 May 2018 The list provided to the AP, which covered 34 assaults through March 27, did not include an attack at a Morganton prison that hospitalized a worker with stab or slash wounds. — charlotteobserver, "Since escape attempt, dozens of NC prisons workers have missed work after assaults | Charlotte Observer," 23 Apr. 2018 If Bitcoin is a currency, and currencies have value, surely some kind of stab—even in the dark—should be made at gauging its worth. — Lionel Laurent, Bloomberg.com, "What Bitcoin Is Really Worth May No Longer Be Such a Mystery," 19 Apr. 2018 Most died of stab or slash wounds; the remainder appeared to have been beaten, Lee County Coroner Larry Logan said. — Victoria Mckenzie, CBS News, "Are cellphones really to blame for spike in S.C. prison violence?," 19 Apr. 2018 Two teens, ages 15 and 17, suffered several stab and slice wounds in the attack. — Adam Ferrise, cleveland.com, "Trio vowed 'street justice' before stabbing two teens in Cleveland, police say," 23 Mar. 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

Robinson's wife called police Sept. 21 and told investigators her husband had stabbed her. — Kelsey Mo, azcentral, "Former Tempe judge who stabbed his wife sentenced," 29 June 2018 Gallstones usually lead to stabbing pain in the upper right portion of your abdomen. — Cassie Shortsleeve, SELF, "How to Know If Your Abdominal Pain Is Physical or Mental," 16 Feb. 2019 Uma Thurman basically kicks and stabs her way through an ex-revenge fantasy, so there’s also that. — Vogue, "These Are the Best Anti–Valentine’s Day Movies to Make You Very Glad You’re Single," 12 Feb. 2019 In court filings, Krebs and Gaylord insisted the incident was isolated and unintentional and resulted from security concerns about the defendant in the case, who allegedly had threatened to stab a Lopez Island grocer. — Mike Carter, The Seattle Times, "Sheriff’s use of courtroom camera to view juror’s notebook, lawyer’s notes sparks dismissal of criminal case," 4 Feb. 2019 Corrections & Amplifications Jo Cox was a British legislator who was shot and stabbed to death. — Bojan Pancevski, WSJ, "Polish Politician Dies After Stabbing, Sparking Uproar," 14 Jan. 2019 The snaps preview Eve getting back on the case, Villanelle recovering from being stabbed by Eve, and an appearance from Eve's boss Carolyn Martens. — Lauren Hubbard, Town & Country, "Killing Eve: Everything We Know So Far About Season 2," 24 Dec. 2018 Police say Morrison stabbed Honore in the lower abdomen and fled the theater. — Matthew Martinez, star-telegram, "They went to see ‘The First Purge.’ He stabbed a man over a reserved seat, Texas cops say," 12 July 2018 Godejohn had stabbed her with a knife multiple times in the back and slashed her across the back of her neck. — Rose Minutaglio, Good Housekeeping, "Gypsy Rose Blanchard: A Look Back at Her Surreal Childhood and the Mother She Murdered," 6 Nov. 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.