1
as in teasing
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
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2
as in nagging
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 needling
Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 5 Aug. 2025
Verb
Where internet trolls often come off as flippant or spiteful, there is a relentless sense of play and mastery of language in even McNally’s most needling posts.
—Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 5 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for needling
Verb
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Gunn has been teasing this new feature for weeks, saying that his next project won’t be a direct sequel to Superman, but will feature characters audiences already know from his summer hit.—
Aaron Couch,
HollywoodReporter,
3 Sep. 2025
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The radio host was set to return to his SiriusXM show this morning, after nearly a month of teasing a big reveal surrounding rumors that his show would be canceled.—
Jodi Guglielmi,
Rolling Stone,
2 Sep. 2025
Verb
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In addition to Carter’s disqualification, Nolan Smith was flagged for taunting and roughing the quarterback.—
Zach Berman,
New York Times,
8 Sep. 2025
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Rodgers held up his hand to his ear, taunting the fans who were talking smack to him.—
Michael Gallagher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The Transportation Security Administration and Federal Aviation Administration have been flagging devices like portable power banks, laptops and cell phones for a while, urging travelers to carry them on board instead of checking them with their bags.—
Eve Chen,
USA Today,
5 Sep. 2025
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The New York Times filed its letter July 30, urging the judge overseeing the estate to unseal the reports, saying they were designated as confidential without any justification for the sealing.—
Julie K. Brown,
Miami Herald,
5 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The key to his performance is empathy — Early resists mocking Maddie or her struggles at every turn.—
Jourdain Searles,
HollywoodReporter,
7 Sep. 2025
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This is all on top of the late-night TV and social media posts mocking him, countless Democrats campaigning against him, and endless news and opinion articles calling him everything from a felon to a rapist to a threat to democracy to Hitler.—
Matt Fleming,
Oc Register,
6 Sep. 2025
Verb
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One of those fans happens to be Angela Bassett‘s sister, who has apparently been hounding Bassett about the potential return of her on-screen hubby.—
Andy Swift,
TVLine,
21 Aug. 2025
-
An Egyptian math teacher, appalled at this attitude, began hounding him.—
John Carlisle,
Freep.com,
31 May 2025
Adjective
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Vice President Vance appeared on FOX News Channel’s The Ingraham Angle hours after the heckling incident, telling the host about visiting with the national guardsmen and discussing recent changes to the city, while briefly mentioning the protesters.—
Jillian Frankel,
People.com,
21 Aug. 2025
Verb
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As summer winds down and your strands have endured heatwaves, pool days, and sweaty workouts, your curls might be begging for a break.—
Larry Stansbury,
Essence,
4 Sep. 2025
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If anything, people were begging me to stop.—
Larisha Paul,
Rolling Stone,
4 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The intensity of Irish expressions of solidarity in 2024 caused one pro-Israel commentator, Ben Cohen, to coin the term Paddystinian as a derisive epithet to counter the narrative.—
Philip Metres
August 27,
Literary Hub,
27 Aug. 2025
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Wall Street reacted to the delays with a derisive nickname TACO, for Trump Always Chickens Out.—
Bart Jansen,
USA Today,
11 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Needling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/needling. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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