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
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Recent Examples of needle
Elena Moore, NPR, 15 Mar. 2026
To get an empty eggshell, pierce small holes on either end of a fresh, raw egg with a needle and gently blow the contents out into a bowl.
—Annabelle Canela, Parents, 14 Mar. 2026
Greg Cote
february 5, Miami Herald, 5 Feb. 2026
Jake needles Harry about the past 50 years, but Harry can only offer scraps of history.
—Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 13 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for needle
Noun
Abughazaleh hosts weekly knitting circles, and at a recent one, around a dozen people showed up with their needles and yarn, ready to talk politics.
—Elena Moore, NPR, 15 Mar. 2026
To get an empty eggshell, pierce small holes on either end of a fresh, raw egg with a needle and gently blow the contents out into a bowl.
—Annabelle Canela, Parents, 14 Mar. 2026
Verb
Smirk flies under the banner ‘Make Fun, Not War’ and delights to needle and tweak the NFL and the gravitas of its Big Game.
—Greg Cote
february 5, Miami Herald, 5 Feb. 2026
Jake needles Harry about the past 50 years, but Harry can only offer scraps of history.
—Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 13 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for needle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for needle
Noun
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During the fight, Garner said Arielle Konig hit a syringe out of her husband's hand and then tried to take a vial from him.—
Meredith Deliso,
ABC News,
19 Mar. 2026
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Now people can visit this new retail location in Pinckney and purchase a kit, which comes with a syringe of the mushroom variety and instructions on how to grow mushrooms.—
Elle Meyers,
CBS News,
17 Mar. 2026
Noun
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To get a more accurate genetic indicator of cancer risk, my mother encouraged me to get my DNA tested for the BRCA1 gene mutation.—
Zachary Bernstein,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Mar. 2026
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With its large display, single-button operation and three-color LED air quality indicator, this monitor offers a simple way to take a look at what irritants may be floating around you.—
BestReviews,
Chicago Tribune,
17 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The all-new Rivian R2, which was teased two years ago, may defy the current state of the industry, which has seen sales of EVs slump and automakers cancel upcoming models.—
Morgan Korn,
ABC News,
22 Mar. 2026
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UConn got the last laugh in Philadelphia — well, at least 76ers center Andre Drummond did when the former Huskies star came over to tease fellow Sixers center and former UCLA standout Adem Bona in the waning moments.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
22 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The Bruins will also have decisions to make on BC seniors and Boston draft picks Gasseau and Oskar Jellvik, who has been dogged with injuries in his career at BC.—
Steve Conroy,
Boston Herald,
21 Mar. 2026
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Survivor brought back a record 24 returnees for season 50, and has dogged a bunch with no screentime.—
Pitchfork,
Pitchfork,
20 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The project is still in development, but early versions of similar internal AI tools at Meta are already being used by employees to search company data, index documents, and assist with work tasks.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
24 Mar. 2026
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The dollar index, meanwhile, has strengthened around 3% since the start of the war.—
Lee Ying Shan,
CNBC,
24 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Robinson picked up a technical foul for taunting after Nets rookie guard Nolan Traore appeared to undercut the Knicks’ big man on an alley-oop with roughly three minutes left in the second quarter.—
Kristian Winfield,
New York Daily News,
21 Mar. 2026
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Both would be well advised to do the jobs they were elected to do rather than taunt ICE and hope that the media will look at ICE rather than scrutinize them and the job the two are doing, or not doing.—
Peter Lucas,
Boston Herald,
19 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Terri Maguire, maintenance manager with Van Slyke Landscape, also suggested being very careful with maintenance products and chemicals like fertilizers as well as traps and bait for what people consider pests.—
Caron Golden,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
21 Mar. 2026
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Burton also baited Brown into multiple costly fouls, including one with less than a second remaining on the shot clock.—
Zack Cox,
Boston Herald,
21 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Liberal Democrat lawmaker Liam McArthur, who drew up the Scottish bill, had urged colleagues to back it.—
JILL LAWLESS THE ASSOCIATED PRESS,
Arkansas Online,
19 Mar. 2026
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San Diego City Councilmember Vivian Moreno urged the city to remove his name from all city properties and holidays.—
Maura Fox,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
19 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Needle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/needle. Accessed 24 Mar. 2026.
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