stab

noun \ ˈstab \

|Updated on: 17 Aug 2018

Examples: stab in a Sentence

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

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
Grooves swing, lope and gallop, while Chris Desiderio’s distorted, spacey guitar leads stab in and out.

— michael hamad, courant.com, "Waterbury Indie Rock Band Mandala Dreams Of Breaking Free With 'Cash For Smiles'," 8 Jan. 2018
One of the victims was hospitalized with stab wounds, Tellis said.

— julianna rennie, charlotteobserver, "Seven Latino men were robbed in ‘targeted’ incidents over two-day period, CMPD says," 12 July 2018
The 37-year-old victim was found unresponsive with multiple stab wounds about 6:55 a.m. in the 10600 block of South Lafayette Avenue, police said.

— chicago tribune, chicagotribune.com, "Man, 37, stabbed to death on Far South Side," 28 June 2018
Butz was pronounced dead of multiple stab wounds at a Las Vegas hospital following the altercation.

— don sweeney, sacbee, "Police found a bloody beer can. It helped lead them to a suspected killer, Vegas cops say," 24 June 2018
One of those neighbors made his way into the 79-year-old’s home and found her body face down just inside her front entryway with a kitchen knife still buried in her back and an unspecified number of stab wounds, the Houston Chronicle reported.

— matthew martinez, star-telegram, "Ex-con was on cocaine, PCP when ‘voices’ told him to kill his 79-year-old mom, Texas cops say," 12 July 2018
Police found the victim with multiple stab wounds after responding to a call at about 10:17 a.m. on the 3900 block of Veselich Avenue, said LAPD spokeswoman Rosario Herrera.

— alejandra reyes-velarde, latimes.com, "Woman stabbed to death in Atwater Village apartment," 11 July 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.

Origin and Etymology of stab

Middle English stabbe

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 15th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

stab Synonyms

Synonyms

perforation, pinhole, pinprick, prick, punch, puncture;

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

Decades after the infamous Rolling Stones concert at which Hunter was stabbed to death, Parker watched the fleeting footage of her uncle’s killing in horror.

— james sullivan, BostonGlobe.com, "Recalling Altamont as a crime story," 12 July 2018
The story purportedly explained why responders found him with a rope around his neck — and why the woman was found stabbed to death, police said, the Stamford Advocate reported.

— crystal hill, miamiherald, "He planned to kill his wife, then himself, police say. Now he’s charged with murder.," 29 June 2018
Police believe a 15-year-old boy stabbed to death outside a bodega in the Bronx may have been a victim of a case of mistaken identity, according to the New York Post.

— jewel wicker, Teen Vogue, "Suspects Arrested in the Killing of 15–Year-Old Lesandro Guzman-Feliz May Have Mistook His Identity," 25 June 2018
Police are looking for answers after a 73-year-old man was found stabbed to death in his Bronx, N.Y., apartment, just days after scoring $10,000 in the lottery.

— breanna edwards, The Root, "73-Year-Old Bronx, NY, Man, Who Recently Scored $10,000 in the Lottery, Found Stabbed to Death in His Apartment," 12 June 2018
Idaho State Police detectives intervened to stop a stabbing attack on a woman on a Weiser sidewalk Wednesday afternoon, according to a press release from ISP.

— katy moeller, idahostatesman, "Police stop man's knife attack on woman in Weiser," 7 June 2018
Stephanie Crowe was found stabbed to death in her bedroom in 1998.

— michael smolens, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Gov. Jerry Brown endorses 'good man' Sheriff Bill Gore," 29 May 2018
My prayers to Sean & family 🙁 Police said the stabbing occurred about 10:55 p.m. at 17th and Chancellor Streets, around the corner from Rouge.

— Philly.com, "Philadelphia developer stabbed to death near Rittenhouse Square," 13 July 2018
Police say the nine victims of a stabbing attack at a Boise, Idaho, apartment complex included refugee families from Syria, Iraq and Ethiopia.

— Fox News, "The Latest: Idaho mass stabbing victim flown to Utah," 1 July 2018

First Known Use of stab

1530

in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

stab Synonyms

Synonyms

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

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

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