needles 1 of 2

plural of needle
1
as in syringes
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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2
as in indicators
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

needles

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of needle

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 needles
Noun
The slightly thinner, trailing branches include a mix of long and short needles. Kate McGregor, Architectural Digest, 5 Nov. 2025 That said, its functionality should improve considerably once the technology is scaled up, which would partially involve adding more needles to the knitting block. New Atlas, 5 Nov. 2025 Prescribed fires are prevention strategies that help burn through pine needles, leaves and branches that accumulate over time on the ground, which can help prevent catastrophic wildfires, Davila said. Sarah Henry, AZCentral.com, 5 Nov. 2025 Their meet-cute involves a pterodactyl, a number of plants that shoot paralyzing needles, and a nest in which Thia has been imprisoned. David Fear, Rolling Stone, 4 Nov. 2025 During the conversation, the 9-year-old admitted to placing needles inside the candy just before their parents performed a precautionary safety scan with a magnet. Bonny Chu, FOXNews.com, 4 Nov. 2025 The needles, thread and thimbles come in handy for burgeoning designers to add their own personal touch and create a bag that is truly one of a kind, according to Fendi’s official product description on the brand’s website. Julia Teti, Footwear News, 3 Nov. 2025 In the fall, Hempstead recommends hiking just beyond Chester Lake to Elephant Rocks, a grouping of huge limestone boulders surrounded by coniferous trees called larches, whose soft needles turn buttery yellow in late September. Lisa Kadane, Travel + Leisure, 2 Nov. 2025 Boston Public Health Commissioner Bisola Ojikutu said last month that the city hands out more than 80,000 needles per month to drug users, as part of its harm reduction approach. Gayla Cawley, Boston Herald, 28 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for needles
Noun
  • Buchmann said that although the team is similarly looking forward to seeing precinct-level data to get a clearer picture of how Wyandotte County voted, the team found a few indicators leading up to the election that told them the race between Watson and Mulvany Henry would be close.
    Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 7 Nov. 2025
  • McDaniel’s teams are minus-18 in turnover margin in three-and-a-half seasons, and McDaniel stresses that turnovers are the best indicators of who wins football games.
    Omar Kelly November 7, Miami Herald, 7 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • But Richardson-Sellers teases that much more will be revealed in the back half of the season.
    Sydney Bucksbaum, Entertainment Weekly, 9 Nov. 2025
  • The trailer then teases how each artist will open up about the vulnerability behind each of their songs and the stories that brought them there.
    Charna Flam, PEOPLE, 6 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • Therapy dogs with the nonprofit also help children learn to read and assist in clinical therapy settings.
    Kelli Bender, PEOPLE, 31 Oct. 2025
  • Some dogs his size might have ended up getting into some pretty major trouble trying to climb up onto the swing seat, but not Hank.
    Jack Beresford, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • On Friday, stocks snapped a three-week advance, with technology dragging all three major indexes into the red.
    Sarah Min, CNBC, 7 Nov. 2025
  • Asian and European indices followed suit, highlighting how tightly global sentiment is bound to a handful of AI leaders.
    Sydney Lake, Fortune, 5 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • Bully Ray envisioned a moment where a rival taunts the voiceless Knight.
    Andrew Ravens‎, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Oct. 2025
  • Garraty is forced to slap himself across the face to stay awake as Barkovitch taunts him.
    Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 8 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Its approach suggests that in the years since Ferrante first made her way into American readers’ hands, the status of feminist writing has seen a true shift.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 6 Nov. 2025
  • What Happens Next There will likely be long delays before SNAP benefits actually make it into the hands of beneficiaries again.
    Suzanne Blake, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • Nancy adds that her family didn't know that the community was dropping the rabies baits, and didn't receive any mailers about the drop.
    Kelli Bender, PEOPLE, 30 Sep. 2025
  • Trolling crank baits along points and flats 15 feet deep over deeper water should still work.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 16 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • The locker room still rides for its coach, and the players’ effort against Wake Forest reflected that.
    D’Joumbarey Moreau, Miami Herald, 5 Nov. 2025
  • After giving the calf an allotted head start, a competitor rides to the calf, ropes it and dismounts, lays the calf down and ties three legs together.
    Ed Masley, AZCentral.com, 4 Nov. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Needles.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/needles. Accessed 20 Nov. 2025.

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