Synonyms of needles

needles 1 of 2

noun

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

• syringes
• hypodermics
• hypodermic needles
• hypes
• hypodermic syringes

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

• indicators
• indexes
• hands
• gauges
• pointers
• dials
• faces

needles

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of needle

1

as in teases

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

• teases
• taunts
• baits
• mocks
• rides
• bothers
• hazes
• tortures
• hassles
• picks on
• annoys
• nettles
• plagues
• heckles
• ruffles
• troubles
• ridicules
• irritates
• tests
• makes game of
• itches
• gibes
• grates
• galls
• spites
• frets
• rasps
• gripes
• bullies
• bugs
• goads
• frosts
• dogs
• tries
• badgers
• burns (up)
• narks
• peeves
• jeers
• riles
• beleaguers
• chafes
• vexes
• pesters
• aggravates
• torments
• discomforts
• gnaws (at)
• nags
• derides
• disturbs
• aggrieves
• exasperates
• piques
• irks
• hacks (off)
• gets
• puts out
• hounds
• hagrides
• agitates
• bedevils
• persecutes
• hectors
• perturbs
• harries
• harasses
• browbeats
• terrorizes

2

as in dogs

to subject (someone) to constant scoldings and sharp reminders

quit needling me! I'll take out the trash in a minute!

Synonyms & Similar Words

• dogs
• pecks (at)
• picks at
• urges
• henpecks
• hounds
• begs
• nags
• bothers
• eggs
• badgers
• spurs
• baits
• pressures
• prods
• pushes
• annoys
• plagues
• bugs
• goads
• rides
• prompts
• carps (at)
• harries
• fusses (about or over)
• pesters
• vexes
• harasses
• hassles
• insists
• chivies
• wheedles
• irks
• presses
• coaxes
• incites
• cajoles
• yaps (at)
• nitpicks
• importunes
• pleads
• exhorts
• blandishes

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• compliments
• recommends
• praises
• commends
• builds up
• lauds
• applauds
• extols
• touts
• acclaims
• eulogizes

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of needles

Noun

The short, prickly needles make junipers unattractive to deer, unlike, for example, deer-magnet arborvitaes. — Beth Botts, Chicago Tribune, 8 Nov. 2026

While published literature on the math of literally looking for needles in actual stacks of hay are thin on the ground, the principles of such a search lie in an area of math called probabilities. — Adam Kovac, Scientific American, 7 Nov. 2026

Police in north suburban Waukegan were investigating after a 9-year-old girl found sewing needles, bobby pins, copper wire, and other foreign objects in her Halloween candy. — Todd Feurer, CBS News, 4 Nov. 2026

If ear seeds continue to show up in beauty and wellness coverage, expect retailers to stock more variants and expect more people to try the format before trying needles. — Hanna Wickes, Miami Herald, 3 Nov. 2026

Appointments typically start with a consultation and a review of TMJ history, followed by cleaning the jawline, mapping injection points with a white eyeliner pencil and placing botulinum toxin into the muscle with very thin needles. — Hanna Wickes, Charlotte Observer, 26 Oct. 2026

Like other firs, the needlelike leaves of the oyamel fir grow directly from the branch, and the needles’ bases, which are shaped like suction cups, leave conspicuous circular scars when the leaves fall. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 23 Oct. 2026

One contains leather-cutting tools, another curved needles and bits of leather showing the different types of stitching that go into the bags. — Samantha Conti, Footwear News, 23 Oct. 2026

The forests are thick with spruce, their needles a deep, musty green veiled in shadows. — Literary Hub, 16 Oct. 2026

Verb

As Polly needles her daughter, Brooke — a liberal Long Island novelist, played by Rabe, whose upcoming memoir promises to surface painful family secrets — the barbs start to draw blood. — Thomas Floyd, Washington Post, 23 Oct. 2026

McDaniel needles the other side of the ball too, James said, warning defenders to be ready for a deep pass before hitting them with a quick out. — Los Angeles Times, 29 July 2026

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

Phrases Containing needles

• on pins and needles