stab

1 of 2

noun

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

stab

2 of 2

verb

stabbed; stabbing

transitive verb

1
: to wound or pierce by the thrust of a pointed object or weapon
2

intransitive verb

: to thrust or give a wound with or as if with a pointed weapon
stabber noun
Phrases
stab in the back
: betray

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
Blade Stephen Norrington took a stab at one point, while F. Javier Gutiérrez (Before the Fall) and star Luke Evans tried to break the curse at another point. Aaron Couch, The Hollywood Reporter, 14 Mar. 2024 Her body, with more than 20 stab wounds, was found at the bottom of a ditch. Julia Khrebtan-Hörhager, The Conversation, 7 Mar. 2024 Officers arrived at the 100 block of Hyde Street and found a man lying on the ground with multiple stab wounds. Bay Area News Group, The Mercury News, 7 Mar. 2024 The actor, fresh off her SNL hosting gig, took a stab at the brand’s take on workwear. Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 5 Mar. 2024 After the script was poorly received by De Laurentiis, Herbert took one last stab at trying to pull it in a less lengthy/slavish direction. Max Evry, WIRED, 4 Mar. 2024 Then, another record-seeker took a stab at his idea. Justine McDaniel, Washington Post, 17 Feb. 2024 Both victims died from multiple stab wounds and had both been shot in the face, the prosecutor’s office said. Kc Baker, Peoplemag, 4 Mar. 2024 The man was found unresponsive with a stab wound Sunday, March 3, by deputies called to a laundromat in the Lacombe area, according to a St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office news release. Makiya Seminera, Miami Herald, 4 Mar. 2024
Verb
Last year, Promes was also separately convicted in absentia for stabbing his cousin in the knee, Reuters reported, and was sentenced to 18 months in prison, according to prosecutors. Amy Woodyatt, CNN, 14 Mar. 2024 Terra, though injured, successfully fought him off — kicking his knife from his hand, then grabbing it herself and stabbing him in the chest, forehead and eyes. Jeff Truesdell, Peoplemag, 13 Mar. 2024 The suspect then retrieved a silver knife from the kitchen and returned to continue stabbing him. Landon Mion, Fox News, 13 Mar. 2024 There was one video of a woman being held down and stabbed. Ali Winston, WIRED, 13 Mar. 2024 Another employee tried to stop the suspect, who then stabbed him multiple times, deputies said. Ishani Desai, Sacramento Bee, 8 Mar. 2024 Two boys, 15 and 17, were taken to the hospital after being reportedly stabbed in Fort Lauderdale on Thursday, police said. Omar Rodríguez Ortiz, Miami Herald, 7 Mar. 2024 The victim, who had been repeatedly stabbed, was conscious and able to speak with officers. Karen Kucher, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Mar. 2024 And an aide to Senator Rand Paul, Republican of Kentucky, was left critically injured last March after getting stabbed in broad daylight by a man released from prison the day before. Andrew Trunsky, New York Times, 2 Mar. 2024

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

Dictionary Entries Near stab

Cite this Entry

“Stab.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stab. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

stab

1 of 2 noun
1
: 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
2
stabber noun

Medical Definition

stab

1 of 2 noun
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

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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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