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
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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
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Recent Examples of needle
Annie Proulx, New Yorker, 10 Aug. 2025
The pine needles are an instant natural mulch…and come at no extra charge.
—Clarence Schmidt, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Aug. 2025
Mitch Therieau, New Yorker, 2 July 2025
Tennis legend Chris Evert needled WNBA players for lack of sportsmanship following Tuesday night’s skirmish that saw Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark get poked in the eye and shoved to the ground in a game against the Connecticut Sun.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 18 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for needle
Noun
Zilpha felt the jolt of connection just in seeing the needle.
—Annie Proulx, New Yorker, 10 Aug. 2025
The pine needles are an instant natural mulch…and come at no extra charge.
—Clarence Schmidt, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Aug. 2025
Verb
Lorde’s singing voice is often doubled throughout the album, but here the other voices occasionally peel off and sing over and against her, sometimes needling, sometimes supporting.
—Mitch Therieau, New Yorker, 2 July 2025
Tennis legend Chris Evert needled WNBA players for lack of sportsmanship following Tuesday night’s skirmish that saw Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark get poked in the eye and shoved to the ground in a game against the Connecticut Sun.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 18 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for needle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for needle
Noun
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From January to May, Amanda Woodard would use a syringe to take the remaining fentanyl out of the vials, according to a probable cause statement.—
Mike Stunson,
Kansas City Star,
30 July 2025
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In the role of a comically unhinged doctor from the World Health Organization, Nadia Pillay wields an oversized syringe and scatters a barrage of pharmaceutical samples at the bewildered children.—
Emily McClanathan,
Chicago Tribune,
24 July 2025
Noun
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The pullback in sentiment among European bourses comes ahead of the latest indicator of the state of health of major regional economies, with gross domestic product readings from the U.K. and European Union on Thursday.—
Chloe Taylor,Holly Ellyatt,
CNBC,
14 Aug. 2025
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Android and iOS phone users can access the custom avatar by tapping the location indicator blue arrow and selecting Boone's car after selecting their navigation, according to Google Maps.—
Anthony Robledo,
USA Today,
14 Aug. 2025
Verb
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And we have been teased and fooled before in the near-quarter century since that last crown in 2001.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
15 Aug. 2025
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The podcast is also what Swift used to announce her 12th studio album, after teasing details on social media and setting up a surprise countdown clock.—
Rachel Treisman,
NPR,
14 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Inflation continued to dog shoppers last month, as consumers were forced to shoulder more of the cost of President Trump's tariffs.—
Scott Horsley,
NPR,
12 Aug. 2025
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The plant has a long history of pollution concerns In recent years, the Clairton plant has been dogged by concerns about pollution.—
Marc Levy,
Chicago Tribune,
11 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Overall, the fund’s return was 5 basis points lower than the return on its benchmark index.—
Chloe Taylor,Holly Ellyatt,
CNBC,
12 Aug. 2025
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However, since April, prices have risen between 1.1% and 1.2% each month (the index was up 1.2% in July.).—
Alicia Wallace,
CNN Money,
12 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Later, Cano was captured grabbing what appeared to be the DJ’s laptop, taunted the crowd with destroying it, and then flung the device onto the stage platform before stomping on it multiple times, showing off its cracked screen.—
Tomás Mier,
Rolling Stone,
11 Aug. 2025
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After that mistake, Wallace came in with a big hit on a pass at the line of scrimmage, only to be flagged for taunting.—
Adam Grosbard,
Oc Register,
10 Aug. 2025
Noun
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The Cboe Volatility Index, or VIX , known to many as Wall Street's fear gauge, had its lowest close of the year on Wednesday, ending the day at 14.49.—
Fred Imbert,
CNBC,
14 Aug. 2025
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Economists also watch it because some of its components, notably measures of health care and financial services, flow into the Federal Reserve’s preferred inflation gauge — the personal consumption expenditures, or PCE, index.—
Preston Fore,
Fortune,
14 Aug. 2025
Verb
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For a chipmunk that is causing structural damage, such as undermining the foundation of stairs or walkways, rat-sized snap traps baited with peanut butter are effective, says Anderson.—
Arricca Elin SanSone,
Southern Living,
7 Aug. 2025
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Last week, Trump was happy to seize an opportunity to publicly bait the Fed chair, becoming the first President to visit the headquarters of the central bank for anything other than a formal ceremony.—
John Cassidy,
New Yorker,
28 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Needle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/needle. Accessed 22 Aug. 2025.
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