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
This clean, woody scent captures the essence of pine needles, sap, holly, cedar wood, and frosted balsam. Mariana Best, Better Homes & Gardens, 28 Oct. 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 People urinating, leaving feces, needles, blocking things. Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, FOXNews.com, 28 Oct. 2025 No doubt some sailors noticed that compass needles no longer pointed toward the magnetic north pole during auroras. Literary Hub, 27 Oct. 2025 With off-putting brusqueness, the acupuncturist sticks needles into my head and left leg, leaves the room—and appears to forget all about me. Lucinda Rosenfeld, New Yorker, 25 Oct. 2025 Often referred to as a vampire facial, platelet-rich plasma (PRP) treatments involve drawing the client's blood, separating out the red blood cells and injecting the platelet-rich plasma back into the face with micro-needles. Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 25 Oct. 2025 What is a freeze warning, frost advisory Frost is the formation of thin ice crystals on the ground or surfaces in the form of scales, needles, feathers, or fans, according to the weather service. Cheryl Vari, Cincinnati Enquirer, 23 Oct. 2025 This faux Dunhill Fir is designed to look and feel like a tree plucked straight off the lot, without the single-season lifespan or mess of shedding needles. Maggie Horton, PEOPLE, 22 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for needles
Noun
  • One of the best indicators of when to stop mowing is soil temperature.
    Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 31 Oct. 2025
  • Momentum indicators aren't screaming buy at current levels.
    Jay Woods, CNBC, 31 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • And, as the announcement teases with a lengthy pause, Jessica Lange is making her return to the series, after last being seen briefly in 2018's Apocalypse season.
    Lauren Huff, Entertainment Weekly, 31 Oct. 2025
  • The show’s logline teases an ambitious group of friends navigating life and love in Los Angeles.
    Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 31 Oct. 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
  • Wall Street cheered the data, with major indexes climbing to record highs.
    Benzinga, Freep.com, 25 Oct. 2025
  • The stock market rose Friday, with all three major indexes hitting fresh intraday record highs.
    Natasha Abellard, CNBC, 24 Oct. 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
  • Lastly, use a 5- or 10-round magazine so that the rifle rides the shooting rest better.
    The Editors, Outdoor Life, 30 Oct. 2025
  • If a Muslim tenant organizer who rides the subway and speaks openly about Palestinian human rights can be the mayor of New York, then the political story America has told itself since 9/11—about who belongs and who must prove belonging—begins to shift.
    Faisal Kutty, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Needles.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/needles. Accessed 6 Nov. 2025.

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