needle 1 of 2

noun

ˈnē-dᵊl How to pronounce needle (audio)
Definition of needlenext
1
as in syringe
a slender hollow instrument by which material is put into or taken from the body through the skin the nurse inserted the needle into his vein and collected some blood for testing

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
as in indicator
an arrow-shaped piece on a dial or scale for registering information simply by reading the compass needle you should be able to figure out in which direction we're heading

Synonyms & Similar Words

needle

2 of 2

verb

1
as in to tease
to attack repeatedly with mean put-downs or insults we needled him mercilessly for thinking that he had any chance of being the prom date for the school's most popular girl

Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in to dog
to subject (someone) to constant scoldings and sharp reminders quit needling me! I'll take out the trash in a minute!

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 needle
Noun
The forests are thick with spruce, their needles a deep, musty green veiled in shadows. — Literary Hub, 16 Oct. 2026 Some develop in varicose veins; others form where a needle or IV has irritated a vein. — Angela Haupt, Time, 16 Oct. 2026
Verb
At a Sunday rally in Georgia, Ossoff needled Trump for accepting a new Air Force One plane from the autocratic monarchy of Qatar and for reportedly hiding in a catering truck to switch to a different plane in Turkey last month. — Joseph Konig, PEOPLE, 20 Aug. 2026 McDaniel needles the other side of the ball too, James said, warning defenders to be ready for a deep pass before hitting them with a quick out. — Los Angeles Times, 29 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for needle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for needle
  1. syringe
  2. indicator
  3. tease
  4. dog
  5. index
  6. taunt
  7. urge
  8. bait
Noun
  • Drugmakers are now racing to deliver the same medicines without a syringe in the form of a strip.
    — Samantha Agate, Charlotte Observer, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Investigators recovered syringes and a spoon next to a brown powdery substance in the bathroom, as well as a handgun, two shot glasses and a syringe on a nightstand next to the bed, the report states.
    — Tracy Wright , Louis Casiano, FOXNews.com, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of syringe
Noun
  • Pastries containing squash for which there is a poster indicating a shelf life of two days under refrigeration, were for sale and at room temperature without time-mark indicators to be discarded.
    — NWA Democrat-Gazette, Arkansas Online, 19 Oct. 2026
  • Since the advent of OpenAI’s ChatGPT in late 2022, the list of possible indicators that the AI boom was about to go bust is long and keeps getting longer, leaving Wall Street asking each time if the end is finally near.
    — Jason Ma, Fortune, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of indicator
Verb
  • When appearing on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon last week, the Canadian pop singer teased the single.
    — Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Mahomes began teasing the collection last week with several posts on her Instagram.
    — Lisa Gutierrez, Kansas City Star, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of tease
Verb
  • Hope Florida Foundation got a new board and filed tax returns, but criticisms of its efficacy still dog its leaders.
    — Christopher Spata, Miami Herald, 17 Oct. 2026
  • Still, Marshall has been dogged by negative headlines over the last month, starting with a debate at the Kansas State Fair where the senator was shouted down by the crowd repeatedly.
    — Stephen Fowler, NPR, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of dog
Noun
  • Giving Americans $1,000 or $5,000 invested in a technology index is a straightforward idea; The source and use of the funds will likely be of great debate.
    — Sarah Cannon, Fortune, 18 Oct. 2026
  • The indexes measure what transportation providers charged but do not show how much of the increase appeared in retail prices.
    — Cathy Bussewitz, Chicago Tribune, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of index
Verb
  • The woman, who also reported it to the league, alleged that Jackson refused to delete the video and taunted her with it.
    — Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Last week, Greenlaw was fined $11,941 for unsportsmanlike conduct after taunting the Broncos' sideline and head coach Sean Payton.
    — Armando Salguero OutKick, FOXNews.com, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of taunt
Verb
  • The rebels urged their forces to continue fighting and called on Tigrayans to support them.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 17 Oct. 2026
  • Students have urged residents to stay away on Friday to avoid confrontation with Vucic's supporters.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of urge
Verb
  • In Pakistan, Choudhary told me, the workforce of the author-baiting scams is largely made up of high-school and university graduates.
    — Snigdha Poonam, The Dial, 13 Oct. 2026
  • The massive aerial operation is part of an annual operation to spread rabies vaccination baits targeting raccoons and other wildlife in the state.
    — Dan Raby, CBS News, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of bait

Phrases Containing needle

Browse Nearby Words

needing
needle
needled
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Needle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/needle. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on needle

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about needle

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Can' vs. 'May'

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
artwork of illustrated limes with the text limes and smile with an arrow connecting the two words
Quiz: Spot the Anagram! Scramble these words to find new words with the e...
See All