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
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
Ethan Beck, Pitchfork, 4 May 2026
For power users, this sort of thing can’t help but read as needling, even petty platform quirks.
—Eric Vilas-Boas, Vulture, 10 Apr. 2026
In cases of significant thinning, Small recommends procedures like platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy or micro-needling.
—Rebecca Strong, USA Today, 3 Apr. 2026
Then, again, the needling cold.
—Roey Leonardi, The Atlantic, 22 Feb. 2026
He’s repeated that sentiment in countless interviews over the years, but hearing him say it in front of his gently needling bandmates gives it a different kind of resonance.
—Jordan Runtagh, PEOPLE, 27 Nov. 2025
Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 12 Mar. 2026
The woman needling the Cubs, hands at her head, was the daughter of the Braves coach.
—Christopher Borrelli, Chicago Tribune, 10 Feb. 2026
Adjective
Then, Metric’s peak came on 2009’s Fantasies, which paired needling electronics with thumping drum programming; both it and its follow-up, Synthetica, hit the top 10 on the Canadian albums chart and went platinum in Canada.
—Ethan Beck, Pitchfork, 4 May 2026
For power users, this sort of thing can’t help but read as needling, even petty platform quirks.
—Eric Vilas-Boas, Vulture, 10 Apr. 2026
In cases of significant thinning, Small recommends procedures like platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy or micro-needling.
—Rebecca Strong, USA Today, 3 Apr. 2026
Then, again, the needling cold.
—Roey Leonardi, The Atlantic, 22 Feb. 2026
He’s repeated that sentiment in countless interviews over the years, but hearing him say it in front of his gently needling bandmates gives it a different kind of resonance.
—Jordan Runtagh, PEOPLE, 27 Nov. 2025
Verb
Russia is needling Ukraine’s European allies with asymmetrical warfare – sabotage and cyberattacks – to perhaps provoke a wider conflict while imposing costs.
—Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 12 Mar. 2026
The woman needling the Cubs, hands at her head, was the daughter of the Braves coach.
—Christopher Borrelli, Chicago Tribune, 10 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for needling
Adjective
-
To get a sense of his whole deal, look no further than the half-mocking, half-earnest title of his latest album, Country!—
Jonathan Bernstein,
Rolling Stone,
23 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Off Campus is playing the long game by also teasing the fourth installment in Kennedy’s series, The Goal.—
Kenneal Patterson,
Vanity Fair,
29 May 2026
-
Netflix’s The Boroughs ends with a twist, teasing the future of the series and hinting at the true origin of Mother.—
Dani Di Placido,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2026
Verb
-
The Minnesota Wild players are not playing hockey right now and still have a what-if nagging at them about injuries.—
Corey Masisak,
Denver Post,
25 May 2026
-
My occupations have given me a happy, humble, quiet life, but always nagging in the back of my mind has been a case of impostor syndrome.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 May 2026
Verb
-
Afroman published songs and music videos taunting the deputies.—
Andrew Graham
May 28,
Sacbee.com,
28 May 2026
-
The days of some taunting him when Palace squeezed past Wolverhampton Wanderers earlier this season are in the past.—
Matt Woosnam,
New York Times,
25 May 2026
Verb
-
Bahrain’s interior ministry also sounded warning sirens urging residents to seek shelter.—
Anniek Bao,
CNBC,
3 June 2026
-
The league also sent a letter to Jordan signed by 21 members of Congress urging caution with any changes to the broadcasting law.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
3 June 2026
Adjective
-
Charles Barkley was once spitting mad at a heckling fan, and his expectoration wound up splashing on an 8-year-old girl.—
Jon Greenberg,
New York Times,
22 May 2026
-
Reuters reported that BlackRock CEO Larry Fink, who hosted the dinner of some 200 people as co-chair of the World Economic Forum, ended the dinner after the heckling incident — before dessert was served.—
Ashleigh Fields,
The Hill,
22 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The Thunder have no weak links defensively and have several guys capable of hounding Jalen Brunson and disrupting Karl-Anthony Towns’ flow.—
James L. Edwards III,
New York Times,
27 May 2026
-
The searches add to a growing list of legal cases that are hounding Spain's Socialists.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
27 May 2026
Adjective
-
Educators were fired for making insensitive comments about him on their personal social-media accounts; a firefighter in Toledo lost his job for posting a derisive eulogy on Facebook; various airline employees were suspended for disparaging Kirk online.—
Brady Brickner-Wood,
New Yorker,
29 Apr. 2026
-
But this time, American allies have balked at Trump’s request to send warships to help transport oil through the strait, suggesting there is a limit to how far Europe will go to keep Trump onside in Ukraine and demonstrating the upshot of Trump’s derisive attitude toward alliances.—
Christian Edwards,
CNN Money,
16 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Needling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/needling. Accessed 4 Jun. 2026.
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