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
Timothy Dale, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 May 2026
Built with lasting quality, it’s made to stand the test of time, while the distressed finish helps disguise everyday dings and nicks.
—Jacquelyn McGilvray, PEOPLE, 27 Apr. 2026
If your sponge has tears or nicks, that’s an automatic toss.
—Patricia Shannon, Southern Living, 24 Apr. 2026
Smooth Dents and Remove Stains from Wood Wooden floors and tables can be extremely prone to dents, nicks, and stains, but an iron can be a surprisingly effective way to clear off water stains and smooth out dents.
—Ashley Chalmers, The Spruce, 23 Apr. 2026
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
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
Soothing oils like shea, sweet almond, and jojoba intensely soften the skin, preventing nicks, with aloe and vitamin E stepping in to calm things down post-shave.
—Sophia Panych, Allure, 16 Sep. 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
Minimal nicks can typically be removed by sharpening the blades, but serious damage may necessitate a blade replacement.
—Timothy Dale, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 May 2026
Built with lasting quality, it’s made to stand the test of time, while the distressed finish helps disguise everyday dings and nicks.
—Jacquelyn McGilvray, PEOPLE, 27 Apr. 2026
If your sponge has tears or nicks, that’s an automatic toss.
—Patricia Shannon, Southern Living, 24 Apr. 2026
Smooth Dents and Remove Stains from Wood Wooden floors and tables can be extremely prone to dents, nicks, and stains, but an iron can be a surprisingly effective way to clear off water stains and smooth out dents.
—Ashley Chalmers, The Spruce, 23 Apr. 2026
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
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
Soothing oils like shea, sweet almond, and jojoba intensely soften the skin, preventing nicks, with aloe and vitamin E stepping in to calm things down post-shave.
—Sophia Panych, Allure, 16 Sep. 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
-
Eating ultraprocessed pancakes for breakfast, chips with lunch, a bag of cookies for a snack and a pizza for dinner could quickly add up.—
Sandee LaMotte,
CNN Money,
29 Apr. 2026
-
New orders for the specialized and embedded chips that NXP and its peers make—not to be confused with the high-performance AI silicon that gets all the news headlines—are finally rising after a long slump going all the way back to the COVID-19 pandemic.—
Andrew Nusca,
Fortune,
29 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Earlier on Thursday, her sentence was reduced by a further one-sixth as part of a wider amnesty of all prisoners in Myanmar’s jails.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
1 May 2026
-
Carranza said county jails need to be modernized and need more medical staff to care for a population that is increasingly mentally ill and struggling with addiction.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
1 May 2026
Verb
-
Henson, who does a lot with a character that doesn’t monopolize the spotlight, touches little Zonia’s hair or steals a subtle glance at her now and then.—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
26 Apr. 2026
-
The Pledge is meaningless if the president of the United States lies to us, divides us, bullies us and steals from us.—
Letters to the Editor,
The Orlando Sentinel,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Devlin throws a punch at Stone when the chief arrests him for drunken driving.—
Sandra Dallas,
Denver Post,
19 Apr. 2026
-
The horrid image in the news of a column of smoke rising above the city of Tehran — an abyss of darkness against the gray sky — arrests my attention.—
Babak Rahimi,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
14 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The bullet points highlight Steyer’s hedge fund’s investments in fossil fuel, tobacco, private prisons and casinos.—
Seema Mehta,
Los Angeles Times,
1 May 2026
-
In Pennsylvania and across the nation, suboxone is being heralded as the answer to addiction, especially in prisons and jails.—
Andy Sheehan,
CBS News,
1 May 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 5 May. 2026.
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