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

Relevance
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
Hong Kong — The buzzing of needles and gasps of pain fall silent, replaced by the clacking and rattling of steel and plastic colliding. Chris Lau, CNN Money, 24 June 2026 Members of the Yarnicorns knitting and crochet group worked yarn through hooks and needles. Panashe Matemba-Mutasa, Mercury News, 20 June 2026 The stereotactic biopsy needles are used to take tissue samples from suspicious masses. Annika Inampudi, Fortune, 17 June 2026 God forbid a child puts Yew needles or a branch in his or her mouth. Evan Simko-Bednarski, New York Daily News, 16 June 2026 This woman did not, however, say anything about how to dispose of the needles. Matthew Sedacca, Curbed, 16 June 2026 The needles start out chartreuse green to a light green in the summer, turning orange in the fall. Wendy Rose Gould, Martha Stewart, 15 June 2026 With five experts manning sewing machines, crimping scissors, and needles, the focus is on restoring old clothes and bringing them back to life - completely free of charge. Molly McCrea, CBS News, 12 June 2026 Some gardeners prefer to clip off the needles for safety reasons. Daniel Scott, Better Homes & Gardens, 10 June 2026
Verb
The Velvet Gang needles the outraged Christie ever so. Randy Myers, Mercury News, 19 May 2026 As Thea’s former suitor, Tesman struggles to call her by her married name, a slip of the tongue that Hedda constantly needles him about. Emily McClanathan, Chicago Tribune, 11 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for needles
Noun
  • Hostile and benevolent sexism are early indicators of deeper problems.
    Susan Madsen, Forbes.com, 23 June 2026
  • The researchers emphasized that these specific measurements are critical medical indicators of an older adult's future health.
    Khloe Quill, FOXNews.com, 23 June 2026
Verb
  • The Grammy winner also teases that new music is on the way.
    Alexandra Del Rosario, Los Angeles Times, 17 June 2026
  • The clip, which starts from Scooby's view, teases something absolutely vicious.
    Marina Watts, Entertainment Weekly, 8 June 2026
Verb
  • Service dogs that bark excessively must be taken out of the facility.
    Jeanne Phillips, Mercury News, 14 June 2026
  • In a nearly 10-minute long video, Pratt repeated social media posts that dogs on Skid Row are used to test drugs, are bred for drug money and are left in poor conditions by their unhoused owners, among other concerns about overcrowded, dirty shelters across the city.
    Sandra McDonald, Los Angeles Times, 14 June 2026
Noun
  • In stock markets abroad, indexes were mixed across Europe and Asia.
    Stan Choe, Los Angeles Times, 17 June 2026
  • Oil was trading below $80 per barrel and stock indexes were up, including the Dow Jones Industrial Average, which topped 52,000 for the first time June 16.
    Bart Jansen, USA Today, 17 June 2026
Verb
  • In the final episode of the season, Max taunts Pip on her way to Stanley’s funeral as his companion, a young blonde, laughs and drinks wine.
    Nicole Briese, PEOPLE, 28 May 2026
  • Newsom taunts Trump with multiple jabs as Florida redistricting fight ramps up.
    , FOXNews.com, 28 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • The plan also urges African countries to preserve former slave forts and castles as memorial sites.
    Jasmine Baehr, FOXNews.com, 21 June 2026
  • If someone urges you to splurge, smile, breathe, and pause.
    Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 20 June 2026
Noun
  • In your view, are the biggest risks from AI systems themselves or from the humans deploying them, the possibility of AI in the hands of rogue actors is particularly concerning here.
    Dana Taylor, USA Today, 23 June 2026
  • Ten members of the pool raised their hands with three admitting to having some knowledge of King.
    Harrison Mantas, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 23 June 2026
Verb
  • Officials will continue to investigate the area for further evidence of poison bait, and also stressed the importance of the community's cooperation to discourage and prevent the use of poison baits against wildlife.
    Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 20 Apr. 2026
  • Whereas fast fashion baits consumers with poorly made clothing available for a limited time, Jendue takes a more elevated approach with high quality denim from Turkey.
    Angela Velasquez, Sourcing Journal, 30 Mar. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Needles.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/needles. Accessed 25 Jun. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on needles

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster