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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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
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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of needles
Dr. Patricia Richard, Hartford Courant, 14 Apr. 2026
Inspectors explained that embers can ignite the smallest fuels around a home, including pine needles, dead leaves, and dry grass.
—Spencer Wilson, CBS News, 13 Apr. 2026
This is particularly important when disposing of sharps such as needles, slides, or broken glass.
—Bestreviews, Mercury News, 9 Apr. 2026
Mayor Wu, who plans to file her warm-weather plan for Mass and Cass with the City Council next week, would not confirm that her administration’s shift in strategy is a move away from harm reduction, which critics say incentivizes drug use by handing out needles and other paraphernalia.
—Gayla Cawley, Boston Herald, 9 Apr. 2026
In just four years the team had developed a vaccine that Salk took home to administer to his wife and sons, boiling needles in their kitchen to sterilize them.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 9 Apr. 2026
And Cora is so good at threading needles on these issues, as in communicating his wishes without insulting this or that player.
—Steve Buckley, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2026
But Wagler’s mother, Jennifer, said Keaton didn’t like pills or needles, Birch recalled.
—Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 3 Apr. 2026
During aging, the cheese's flavor deepens, and regular piercing—a technique where metal rods or needles are inserted into the cheese—helps air circulate through the cheese, promoting mold growth.
—Katie Rosenhouse, Southern Living, 31 Mar. 2026
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
Noun
This ancient Chinese practice, now widely used throughout the world, involves insertion of very thin needles into specific points on the skin to treat disease and alleviate pain.
—Dr. Patricia Richard, Hartford Courant, 14 Apr. 2026
Inspectors explained that embers can ignite the smallest fuels around a home, including pine needles, dead leaves, and dry grass.
—Spencer Wilson, CBS News, 13 Apr. 2026
This is particularly important when disposing of sharps such as needles, slides, or broken glass.
—Bestreviews, Mercury News, 9 Apr. 2026
Mayor Wu, who plans to file her warm-weather plan for Mass and Cass with the City Council next week, would not confirm that her administration’s shift in strategy is a move away from harm reduction, which critics say incentivizes drug use by handing out needles and other paraphernalia.
—Gayla Cawley, Boston Herald, 9 Apr. 2026
In just four years the team had developed a vaccine that Salk took home to administer to his wife and sons, boiling needles in their kitchen to sterilize them.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 9 Apr. 2026
And Cora is so good at threading needles on these issues, as in communicating his wishes without insulting this or that player.
—Steve Buckley, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2026
But Wagler’s mother, Jennifer, said Keaton didn’t like pills or needles, Birch recalled.
—Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 3 Apr. 2026
During aging, the cheese's flavor deepens, and regular piercing—a technique where metal rods or needles are inserted into the cheese—helps air circulate through the cheese, promoting mold growth.
—Katie Rosenhouse, Southern Living, 31 Mar. 2026
Verb
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
-
One of the most consistent historical indicators of good recruiting years for the military is a struggling economy.—
Steven Beynon,
ABC News,
15 Apr. 2026
-
Mourey is also curious about the campaign’s key performance indicators.—
Nina Metz,
Chicago Tribune,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
This footage also teases a frightening moment when Pitt and his dog cross a river, and Pitt’s effort to keep his dog from falling leads himself to wind up in the water.—
Ryan Gajewski,
HollywoodReporter,
16 Apr. 2026
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In the below interview, Neustadter teases upcoming shows like Elle, out July 1 on Prime Video, and Lucky coming to Apple TV July 10 from Reese Witherspoon’s production company.—
Dessi Gomez,
Deadline,
10 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Inspired by UConn, other schools in the state, including Eastern Connecticut State University, Central Connecticut State University and the University of Saint Joseph, host dogs almost every week.—
Mikayla Bunnell,
Hartford Courant,
11 Apr. 2026
-
Dehydration dogs their journey, and local ranchers have found their homes burglarized by travelers in search of sustenance.—
Shi En Kim,
AZCentral.com,
26 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
In stock markets abroad, indexes climbed across much of Europe and Asia.—
Stan Choe,
Los Angeles Times,
16 Apr. 2026
-
The three major indexes are coming off a mixed day.—
Alex Harring,
CNBC,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
So much for Anthropic's Super Bowl taunts.—
Alexei Oreskovic,
Fortune,
10 Feb. 2026
-
More than an hour into the film, during a scene in which Buffalo Bill taunts the captive Catherine Martin—a moment that features both characters screaming directly into the camera—Mary got up and headed to the lobby.—
Brian Raftery,
Longreads,
29 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
On Saturday, the troubled pop star uploaded a video dancing in a sheer black bodysuit while covering her breasts with her hands.—
Kathleen Perricone,
Entertainment Weekly,
13 Apr. 2026
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As Horner said in court with his head in his hands, audio played from a phone call with his mother.—
Matthew Ablon,
CBS News,
13 Apr. 2026
Verb
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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
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Setting traps and baits eradicates or, at least, discourages these pests from tunneling through your garden and nibbling roots to damage perennials and shrubs.—
Barbara Gillette,
The Spruce,
15 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The graceful curves of Boston’s beloved Swan Boats took shape today in the Public Garden just in time for the warm weather and another season of peaceful paddle rides around the lagoon.—
Boston Herald staff,
Boston Herald,
13 Apr. 2026
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Watts, who currently rides for the NSN Development Team, served a one-day suspension from his team and will serve a 25-day suspension imposed by the UCI.—
Paulina Dedaj,
FOXNews.com,
11 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Needles.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/needles. Accessed 20 Apr. 2026.
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