1
as in taunted
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
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2
as in urged
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
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Recent Examples of needled
Johnson could have needled Woods about their windy Sunday stroll at Augusta in ’07, when Johnson trailed Stuart Appleby by two strokes, and Woods by one, heading into the last round in which Johnson’s 69 produced another slice of history.
—
Jay Paris, Oc Register, 26 Mar. 2026
American Olympian Lindsey Vonn fired back at critics who needled her for taking a spot on Team USA despite having a ruptured ACL and later breaking her leg.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 22 Feb. 2026
But there are other factors that needled their way into the evolutionary development of dormancy characteristics.
—Paul Cappiello, Louisville Courier Journal, 9 Jan. 2026
Thanks to him and his colleagues Lucas Atia and Janet Teng, there’s a much faster, simpler treatment without an IV bag and an hour of getting needled, and a far more accessible treatment for people for whom simply getting to the hospital might be a major hassle or even an impossibility.
—New Atlas, 30 Dec. 2025
The Ukrainian leader also wore more formal attire, something that did not go unnoticed by pro-Trump reporter Brian Glenn, who in February needled Zelensky for his lack of a suit.
—Brett Samuels, The Hill, 18 Aug. 2025
Trump at one point needled Zelenskyy over Ukraine delaying elections.
—Aamer Madhani, Fortune, 18 Aug. 2025
One ayatollah in particular, Ruhollah Khomeini, needled the Shah incessantly.
—Daniel Immerwahr, New Yorker, 4 Aug. 2025
Jay Paris, Oc Register, 26 Mar. 2026
American Olympian Lindsey Vonn fired back at critics who needled her for taking a spot on Team USA despite having a ruptured ACL and later breaking her leg.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 22 Feb. 2026
But there are other factors that needled their way into the evolutionary development of dormancy characteristics.
—Paul Cappiello, Louisville Courier Journal, 9 Jan. 2026
Thanks to him and his colleagues Lucas Atia and Janet Teng, there’s a much faster, simpler treatment without an IV bag and an hour of getting needled, and a far more accessible treatment for people for whom simply getting to the hospital might be a major hassle or even an impossibility.
—New Atlas, 30 Dec. 2025
The Ukrainian leader also wore more formal attire, something that did not go unnoticed by pro-Trump reporter Brian Glenn, who in February needled Zelensky for his lack of a suit.
—Brett Samuels, The Hill, 18 Aug. 2025
Trump at one point needled Zelenskyy over Ukraine delaying elections.
—Aamer Madhani, Fortune, 18 Aug. 2025
One ayatollah in particular, Ruhollah Khomeini, needled the Shah incessantly.
—Daniel Immerwahr, New Yorker, 4 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for needled
Verb
-
Having failed to secure a ticket, I was taunted with pitying one-upmanship by acquaintances who had had more success.—
Anthony Lane,
New Yorker,
13 Apr. 2026
-
Iza later taunted the victim by sending him a photograph of the arrest and booking photo.—
City News Service,
Daily News,
17 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Officials were forced to close all southbound lanes of the Palmetto Expressway in the area for the rescues and investigation, and drivers were being urged to avoid the area until the scene has been cleared.—
Steven Yablonski,
CBS News,
17 Apr. 2026
-
Alia urged residents to remain calm and to continue to cooperate with security agencies on rescue efforts and other operations.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
17 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Andrew Lloyd Webber, the composer behind such durable hits as Cats (1981), Phantom of the Opera, and Evita, has teased a new musical about the early 20th century theft of Leonardo da Vinci’s painting, the Mona Lisa.—
Anne Doran,
ARTnews.com,
13 Apr. 2026
-
Or maybe, as some eyebrow-raising posts on social media jokingly teased, foreshadowing a possible papal presidential run?—
Terry Collins,
USA Today,
12 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
His instincts, like his techniques, are relentlessly up-to-the-minute; Orsolya is hounded by not only her guilty conscience but also the demons of social media.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
27 Mar. 2026
-
Laura Loomer, the far-right influencer and conspiracy theorist who hounded Vinay Prasad before his first departure from the FDA, is now directing her ire at crying babies on planes.—
John Wilkerson,
STAT,
24 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Szépvölgyi mocked the prime minister, who is 62, for seeming unsteady when boos erupted at one of his recent rallies.—
Isaac Stanley-Becker,
The Atlantic,
10 Apr. 2026
-
There, a drag performer mocked the country’s president, Claudia Sheinbaum.—
Michael O'Boyle,
Bloomberg,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Cherono nagged the Marathon Chase and a $10,000 bonus.—
Michelle Edgar,
Daily News,
8 Mar. 2026
-
Those kids went home and nagged their parents.—
Christine Peterson,
Outdoor Life,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
As the North bore down on Saigon, Thieu begged for American financial support, but Congress was in no mood to pour more millions into the black hole of Southeast Asia.—
Louis Menand,
New Yorker,
13 Apr. 2026
-
The Tua Tagovailoa/Mike McDaniel era ultimately failed, now Dolfans are being begged for yet more patience as the onerous burden of Tagovailoa’s contract impinges on the rebuild.—
Greg Cote
April 6,
Miami Herald,
6 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Corruption allegations also dogged the takeover bid.—
Angelica Ang,
Fortune,
9 Apr. 2026
-
And Robinson, who was dogged for months by knee pain after a surgery last year, was excellent in his return to the field in both games.—
Becky Sullivan,
NPR,
1 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Needled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/needled. Accessed 20 Apr. 2026.
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