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
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
Diana Hubbell, Popular Science, 10 Sep. 2025
Boise State beat Eastern Washington 51-14 last Friday, but a win over an FCS opponent doesn’t move the needle, no matter how impressive.
—Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 10 Sep. 2025
Dave Nemetz, TVLine, 8 Aug. 2025
One ayatollah in particular, Ruhollah Khomeini, needled the Shah incessantly.
—Daniel Immerwahr, New Yorker, 4 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for needle
Noun
While that’s not going to dramatically move the needle, every little bit helps.
—Diana Hubbell, Popular Science, 10 Sep. 2025
Boise State beat Eastern Washington 51-14 last Friday, but a win over an FCS opponent doesn’t move the needle, no matter how impressive.
—Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 10 Sep. 2025
Verb
Kahn, an immigrant from Laos who loves to needle Hank for being a hillbilly, was voiced by a white actor, Toby Huss, during King of the Hill’s original Fox run, which ended in 2009.
—Dave Nemetz, TVLine, 8 Aug. 2025
One ayatollah in particular, Ruhollah Khomeini, needled the Shah incessantly.
—Daniel Immerwahr, New Yorker, 4 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for needle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for needle
Noun
-
It's supplied in a compact 30-ml syringe and can be quickly applied in the field before a patient bleeds out, a risk responsible for more than 35% of all prehospital deaths.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
5 Sep. 2025
-
As Prater raises his weapon to fire at Dexter, Harrison sticks the syringe deep inside his chest.—
Nick Caruso,
TVLine,
5 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Layoffs, a concerning indicator of a potential downturn, haven’t yet accelerated.—
Alicia Wallace,
CNN Money,
11 Sep. 2025
-
The most severe drop was in press freedom when compared with five years ago, but the indicator for the credibility of elections was at its lowest in 30 years.—
Matthew Tostevin
John Feng,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Speaking on a panel, Erik from Sharabati Denim teased an upcoming project that will re-wire how the company procures cotton.—
Angela Velasquez,
Sourcing Journal,
9 Sep. 2025
-
The game doesn’t yet have a firm release date, with only a vague 2026 window teasing its launch on PlayStation 5 and PC.—
Christopher Cruz,
Rolling Stone,
9 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Whistleblower allegations and production quality concerns have dogged the company, but Grant noted that Boeing has introduced improvements that airlines are beginning to see firsthand.—
Lim Hui Jie,
CNBC,
9 Sep. 2025
-
Lower Basin states, including Arizona, have put forward a new concept, but that plan has run into many of the same conflicts that dogged the Lower Basin’s previous proposal.—
Austin Corona,
AZCentral.com,
5 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
According to Arya, the index allows investors to track a very different opportunity than what is captured in major benchmarks.—
Sarah Min,
CNBC,
10 Sep. 2025
-
To formulate a comprehensive ESG index, multiple Key Performance Indicators were collected.—
TIME Staff,
Time,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The user who tweeted the video, @SMHIghlights1, taunted Sanders for wanting the starting quarterback job because Cleveland lost, and instead of joining in on the mockery, several fans in the comment section actually applauded Sanders for being a good teammate.—
Michael Gallagher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
9 Sep. 2025
-
In addition to Carter’s disqualification, Nolan Smith was flagged for taunting and roughing the quarterback.—
Zach Berman,
New York Times,
8 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Fed officials consider core to be a better gauge of long-run trends.—
Jeff Cox,
CNBC,
11 Sep. 2025
-
For a higher performance product, the panels are manufactured with light gauge steel, bumping the pricing up to $85 per foot.—
Jennifer Castenson,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Brother Dusk detonates explosives that shatter the cryonic chamber of Cleon clones, bodies raining down in blood and glass, before plucking a single embryo from the wreckage to bait Demerzel’s deepest programming.—
JP Mangalindan,
Time,
12 Sep. 2025
-
Consequently, Villa are not reaping the same success in baiting opponents into pressing them, before playing around the pressure and attacking the vacated space.—
Jacob Tanswell,
New York Times,
11 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Needle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/needle. Accessed 15 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share