Thesaurus results for JABS

jabs 1 of 2

noun

plural of jab

as in punches

a quick thrust gave the jellyfish on the beach a cautious jab with my stick

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

jabs

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of jab

as in stabs

to penetrate or hold (something) with a pointed object jabbed a pickle and tossed it on the plate

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of jabs

Noun

And a third key was for Gaethje to throw jabs and get Topuria’s weight on his back foot, so Gaethje could find an opening with hooks over Topuria’s front shoulder. — Kyle Newman, Denver Post, 6 July 2026 No women aged 20-24 died from cervical cancer between 2020 and 2024; without the jabs, 23 deaths would have been expected, says the report in The Lancet. — The Week Uk, TheWeek, 6 July 2026 They were controlled by two sets of levers, with plastic buttons that made the combatants throw left jabs and right uppercuts. — Jack Lang, New York Times, 5 July 2026 Her comedic jabs at the American economy and humorous reflections juxtapose somber moments of stillness in the midst of her struggles. — Steven Vargas, Los Angeles Times, 3 July 2026 Thankfully, there are self-aware jabs as well, and it’s all couched in a character- and ensemble-centric ending that has hearty portions that help the random sour bite go down smoothly. — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 25 June 2026 Weight-loss jabs are the latest craze for shedding a few pounds. — Nadine Wehida, Scientific American, 25 June 2026 Records of public meetings and community newspapers feature jabs at how far these sorry kinsmen have strayed from their heritage. — Eythana Miller, The Dial, 23 June 2026 The commander-in-chief and the former moderator for The View have traded jabs in a feud that has lasted for decades. — Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 20 June 2026

Verb

Continue reading … OUT OF LEFT FIELD — Tom Hanks jokingly jabs MS NOW while speaking with reporter live on the network. — FOXNews.com, 19 June 2026 But following elite competition is nearly impossible, with subtle flicks and jabs practically invisible to the naked eye—and competitors hidden behind masks. — Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 25 Apr. 2026 The public jabs from the president have angered some Catholics, the single largest religious denomination in the United States, according to Pew Research Center. — Kinsey Crowley, USA Today, 16 Apr. 2026 Donald Trump‘s effort today to praise his new Homeland Security Secretary and defend him from Jimmy Kimmel‘s jabs kind of backfired. — Dominic Patten, Deadline, 26 Mar. 2026 In another moment, long-time rivals Jett and Mane exchange jabs against one another over a livestream as thousands of roarball fans tune in and cheer them on in the comments. — Payton Turkeltaub, Variety, 13 Feb. 2026 Srinivas, who often jabs the search engine giant, made an interesting point. — Reed Albergotti, semafor.com, 3 Oct. 2025 Haggard jabs Baird over mailers The race is already tense. — Kayla Dwyer, IndyStar, 13 Aug. 2025 His finger jabs on the second-to-last page, at the postscript. — Megan Spurrell, Condé Nast Traveler, 5 Feb. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for jabs

Noun

The poster also alleged Martinez was the one acting racist and had thrown the spice tajín in her face before any punches were thrown.

— James Queally, Los Angeles Times, 6 July 2026
Members of Rita's loyalty program who use the Rita’s Ice app will get double loyalty punches with a purchase of the treat.

— Mike Snider, USA Today, 2 July 2026

Definition of punches

Verb

Kara talks her out of it, and when Ruthye walks away, Kara turns back to Krem and stabs him multiple times with a sword.

— Brian Truitt, USA Today, 27 June 2026
On cue, a Frey leaps out and stabs Robb’s pregnant wife Talisa (Oona Chaplin) in the stomach, and a volley of crossbow arrows lay into Robb and his friends.

— EW Staff, Entertainment Weekly, 25 June 2026

Definition of stabs

Noun

With SpaceX’s historic initial public offering minting a small army of new millionaires overnight, the Southern California housing market is bracing for a big wave of buyers looking to upgrade their digs or perhaps snag a second home, potentially driving up prices in some in-demand neighborhoods.

— Roger Vincent, Los Angeles Times, 29 June 2026
Shamea stands ten toes down, and the digs start flying again as Shamea brings out her receipts from Ashley.

— Ile-Ife Okantah, Vulture, 29 June 2026

Definition of digs

Verb

Commentary and opinions In his latest column, Michael Hiltzik punctures the myth of Alan Greenspan, whose policies gave us the Great Recession.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 25 June 2026
If a foreign object punctures the tread or sidewall, your tire can deflate slowly or quickly, depending on the puncture.

— Jason Fogelson, AJC.com, 29 May 2026

Definition of punctures

Noun

Earlier, authorities blocked access to excerpts of Goktas' show, including pokes at Erdogan, that were uploaded onto social media.

— ABC News, ABC News, 2 July 2026
If your everyday bra is worn out, replace it with this scalloped bra that provides padded support — without uncomfortable underwire that digs and pokes.

— Isabel Garcia, PEOPLE, 3 June 2026

Definition of pokes

Verb

Nobody picks a bank because of who owns the servers, so why sink capital into owning them?

— Mushfig Aliyev, Forbes.com, 8 July 2026
Subscribe here to our newsletter, In Review by David Ehrlich, in which our Chief Film Critic and Head Reviews Editor rounds up the best new reviews and streaming picks along with some exclusive musings — all only available to subscribers.

— Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 8 July 2026

Definition of picks

Verb

The standout episode—the conversion history of Kendra, a Black striver married to the Schwoopers’ daughter, Shira—sticks its landing, enabling the viewer to see faith as a refuge, not a cage.

— Emily Nussbaum, New Yorker, 9 July 2026
Otherwise, Kail sticks closely to the template established for him, recreating every scene and sequence from the first movie with ruthless fidelity and adding essentially no departures of any significance.

— Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 8 July 2026

Definition of sticks

Browse Nearby Words

jabbing

jabs

jack

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Jabs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/jabs. Accessed 13 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of jabs

noun

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster on jabs

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

implacable

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Popular in Wordplay

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 10

Popular

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

Games & Quizzes