1
2
as in jails
British slang
a place of confinement for persons held in lawful custody
the blokes at the pub traded stories of nights spent in the nick after having lifted too many pints
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in steals
to take (something) without right and with an intent to keep
that lorry was a piece of rubbish, I don't know why anyone would want to nick it
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in arrests
to take or keep under one's control by authority of law
a petty thief who was always getting nicked for picking the pockets of tourists outside Buckingham Palace
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of nicks
John Laghezza, New York Times, 10 Apr. 2026
Edges at the perimeter of the card are observed to see if there are any nicks or marks on the back or front.
—Kate Perez, USA Today, 27 Feb. 2026
This dulls blades much faster and can also cause scratches and nicks.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 14 Feb. 2026
His hard hat bears months of nicks and scrapes, testament to the massive transformation underway in the 25,000-square-foot former food court at the Shops at Rivercenter mall in downtown San Antonio.
—Paul Stephen, San Antonio Express-News, 21 Jan. 2026
This waterproof trimmer is ergonomic, rechargeable, and built with SkinSafe blades that help reduce nicks.
—Jeaneen Russell, PEOPLE, 22 Nov. 2025
With five blades sandwiched between two moisturizing bars, this razor speeds up the entire process (no fussing around with shaving cream), nourishing dry skin and making nicks a rare occurrence.
—Sophia Panych, Allure, 16 Sep. 2025
The six-time All-Star is widely known for being injury-prone, so the Warriors can probably expect Butler to miss some time due to some nicks and bruises next season, at the very least.
—Matthew Schmidt, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 Aug. 2025
Encyclopedia Britannica, 18 Mar. 2026
Mora strikesout swinging, and Qualia gets Carson on a breaking ball that nicks the corner of the zone.
—Caleb Yum, Austin American Statesman, 24 Feb. 2026
In the book, the protagonist Jonathan Harker nicks himself with a razor and senses Dracula’s rapt attention.
—Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 20 Oct. 2025
If the surgeon accidently nicks a vein or cuts through a tumor in a way that causes a leakage of cancerous cells, the recovery mode is to undock the robot rapidly, cut the patient open, and fix the problem the old-fashioned way.
—IEEE Spectrum, 5 July 2022
Noun
Up and down rosters everywhere, nicks, bruises, tears, strains and sprains continue wreaking havoc on our fantasy rosters.
—John Laghezza, New York Times, 10 Apr. 2026
Edges at the perimeter of the card are observed to see if there are any nicks or marks on the back or front.
—Kate Perez, USA Today, 27 Feb. 2026
This dulls blades much faster and can also cause scratches and nicks.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 14 Feb. 2026
His hard hat bears months of nicks and scrapes, testament to the massive transformation underway in the 25,000-square-foot former food court at the Shops at Rivercenter mall in downtown San Antonio.
—Paul Stephen, San Antonio Express-News, 21 Jan. 2026
This waterproof trimmer is ergonomic, rechargeable, and built with SkinSafe blades that help reduce nicks.
—Jeaneen Russell, PEOPLE, 22 Nov. 2025
With five blades sandwiched between two moisturizing bars, this razor speeds up the entire process (no fussing around with shaving cream), nourishing dry skin and making nicks a rare occurrence.
—Sophia Panych, Allure, 16 Sep. 2025
The six-time All-Star is widely known for being injury-prone, so the Warriors can probably expect Butler to miss some time due to some nicks and bruises next season, at the very least.
—Matthew Schmidt, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 Aug. 2025
Verb
That means a ball that nicks a sliver of the plate at the front and then dives into the dirt will not be called a strike by ABS.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 18 Mar. 2026
Mora strikesout swinging, and Qualia gets Carson on a breaking ball that nicks the corner of the zone.
—Caleb Yum, Austin American Statesman, 24 Feb. 2026
In the book, the protagonist Jonathan Harker nicks himself with a razor and senses Dracula’s rapt attention.
—Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 20 Oct. 2025
If the surgeon accidently nicks a vein or cuts through a tumor in a way that causes a leakage of cancerous cells, the recovery mode is to undock the robot rapidly, cut the patient open, and fix the problem the old-fashioned way.
—IEEE Spectrum, 5 July 2022
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nicks
Noun
-
Fortune’s Amanda Gerut reports the company is worried the reputational risk could strain its relationship with $4 trillion chipmaker Nvidia, which supplies Supermicro with chips.—
Jim Edwards,
Fortune,
8 Apr. 2026
-
Spicy bread-and-butter pickle chips add just the right amount of kick.—
Tribune News Service,
Baltimore Sun,
8 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Trail takes the free workshops to about 500 people a year, mostly on campuses, community centers, and jails in the Bay Area and across the nation.—
Sharon Chin,
CBS News,
8 Apr. 2026
-
The analysis by the Deportation Data Project at UC Berkeley found that ICE arrests more than quadrupled in that period, with transfers from jails and prisons roughly doubling.—
Daniella Silva,
NBC news,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
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That’s before Morgan steals a necklace from a chintzy gift shop run by a Turkish gangster named Yusuf, who proceeds to kidnap the pair, intimidate them at gunpoint, and threaten their family, forcing them to perform an array of odd jobs to make up for the petty theft.—
Inkoo Kang,
New Yorker,
9 Apr. 2026
-
Nicky’s life is upended when his sister Morgan (Taylor Ortega) steals a necklace for their dying grandmother from a boutique with ties to a criminal organization.—
Erin Jensen,
USA Today,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The Department of Damage Control arrests Trevor.—
JP Mangalindan,
Time,
27 Jan. 2026
-
The sheer scale of an estate for sale in San Francisco’s tony Pacific Heights neighborhood — a residence spanning 26,000 square feet, or the equivalent of 10 average homes — arrests the imagination.—
David Caraccio,
Sacbee.com,
22 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Most of the candidates’ pledges, such as tackling unaffordability, reducing gas prices, increasing capacity in state prisons, protecting gun owners’ rights and keeping trans athletes out of girls’ locker rooms, are nearly identical.—
Seema Mehta,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Apr. 2026
-
The analysis by the Deportation Data Project at UC Berkeley found that ICE arrests more than quadrupled in that period, with transfers from jails and prisons roughly doubling.—
Daniella Silva,
NBC news,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
In season one, Coop swipes jewelry, expensive wine, designer handbags and more to pay his alimony, child support and to keep up appearances in a neighborhood where appearances are all that matter.—
Tony Maglio,
HollywoodReporter,
3 Apr. 2026
-
Sure, the sequence largely swipes away hints given prior that Bowser was an absent father, but in a film where most of the characters veer toward the blandly nice, watching a dad and his son bond over their same sociopathic tendencies was the only moment that tugged at the heartstrings.—
Wilson Chapman,
IndieWire,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Rather than intercepting income at the source, a bank levy freezes and seizes funds that are already sitting in your checking or savings account.—
Angelica Leicht,
CBS News,
10 Apr. 2026
-
Like any well-meaning grifter, Anna (Halle Bailey) seizes the opportunity to hop a flight to picturesque Tuscany after meeting a handsome Italian stranger with an empty villa.—
Rebecca Aizin,
PEOPLE,
10 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Behind bars in state penitentiaries in Gatesville and Marlin, Mejia felt forgotten.—
Emiliano Tahui Gómez,
Austin American Statesman,
17 Mar. 2026
-
The wave of prison violence is happening despite the deployment of military and police forces in several penitentiaries.—
Michael Rios,
CNN Money,
8 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Nicks.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nicks. Accessed 15 Apr. 2026.
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