NICKS Synonyms: 168 Similar and Opposite Words

nicks 1 of 2

noun

plural of nick

as in chips

a V-shaped cut usually on an edge or a surface I made a nick in the frame when I accidentally dropped it

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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

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outsides

nicks

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of nick, British slang

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

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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

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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 nicks

Noun

Trusted by professional barbers, Green Stix stops shaving nicks and minor cuts in seconds. — ABC News, 19 Sep. 2026 This can help them last longer and prevent small scratches and nicks that can lead to more damage and stains over time. — Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 8 Sep. 2026 Dents and nicks that are deep enough that they can’t be ground down with a sharpener or grinder indicate that the mower blade has reached the end of its useable life. — Lauren Landers, The Spruce, 24 July 2026 Its irregularities, grooves, nicks, and pockmarks heightened, rather than disturbed, the tranquillity of the space. — Literary Hub, 22 July 2026 During construction, floorboards were left exposed to develop nicks and dents. — Genevieve Walker, Architectural Digest, 11 July 2026 The handle comes with one original Athena Club cartridge, which has a skin guard to prevent nicks and a hyaluronic acid serum strip. — Sara Coughlin, Allure, 5 July 2026 In addition to keeping your drink close and your hands empty during your daily activities, the water bottle holder protects your water bottle from nicks and dings. — Clint Davis, PEOPLE, 26 June 2026 Be sure that the jars are free of nicks and cracks, and the lids aren't dented or rusted. — Martha Stewart, 12 June 2026

Verb

Base editing, the process used to make the changes, only nicks one strand of DNA, avoiding the major DNA errors that made CRISPR unsafe. — Carolyn Y. Johnson, Washington Post, 25 June 2026 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

Hardware demand Despite these concerns, the sector's hunger for chips doesn't seem to be letting up, as seen in Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company's record quarter.

— Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 16 Oct. 2026
But while Broadcom can profit from selling chips, the AI labs buying computing power must still find enough paying customers to cover the cost of developing and running their models.

— Andrew Nusca, Fortune, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of chips

Noun

In 2019, the New York City Council voted to close the island's facilities and replace them with four smaller jails throughout the five boroughs by August 2027.

— Elizabeth Gulino, Allure, 8 Oct. 2026
Reports also describe people in prisons and jails around the country being routinely beaten, among other abuse.

— Claire Healy, Miami Herald, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of jails

Verb

But for all the resort’s creature comforts, nature still steals the show.

— Chris Schalkx, Vogue, 8 Oct. 2026
The usual answer to this has been to rely on nuclear power to make it through the night, but there is an alternative that steals a page from Earth's playbook.

— David Szondy October 07, New Atlas, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of steals

Verb

Keith arrests our thinking, and cons us into suppressing our critical faculties with the same kind of internalized surveillance that philosopher Michel Foucault broke down to describe a prison’s use of the panopticon in Discipline and Punish.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 19 May 2026
Devlin throws a punch at Stone when the chief arrests him for drunken driving.

— Sandra Dallas, Denver Post, 19 Apr. 2026

Definition of arrests

Noun

At one point over two thirds of Sloss's entry-level workforce was composed of Black labor, which was socially and hierarchically segregated and, up until 1928, often sourced from nearby prisons.

— Leslie Pariseau, Condé Nast Traveler, 12 Oct. 2026
Like Francis before him, Leo has made visiting prisons a key part of his papal travel in a bid to give a message of hope to inmates and underscore their inherent dignity, that God loves them and that there is always a chance for redemption.

— Nicole Winfield, Fortune, 11 Oct. 2026

Definition of prisons

Verb

That reporting revealed that the state frequently seizes money from legal settlements stemming from medical malpractice, police brutality, workplace injury and other wrongful death lawsuits.

— Ginny Monk, Hartford Courant, 28 Sep. 2026
Wilson, meanwhile, seizes on the opening to play teacher’s pet.

— David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 13 Sep. 2026