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
Jeaneen Russell, PEOPLE, 22 Nov. 2025
If your sponge has tears or nicks, that’s an automatic toss.
—Patricia Shannon, Southern Living, 8 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
Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 20 Oct. 2025
Noun
This waterproof trimmer is ergonomic, rechargeable, and built with SkinSafe blades that help reduce nicks.
—Jeaneen Russell, PEOPLE, 22 Nov. 2025
If your sponge has tears or nicks, that’s an automatic toss.
—Patricia Shannon, Southern Living, 8 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
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nicks
Noun
-
The vehicle is powered by an in-vehicle supercomputer built around eight NVIDIA DRIVE AGX Thor system-on-chips based on the Blackwell GPU architecture.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
8 Jan. 2026
-
Semiconductor manufacturing requires huge amounts of ultra-clean water to rinse residue from silicon chips during the fabrication process, resulting in wastewater that contains pollutants, including heavy metals, which can be toxic to aquatic ecosystems and humans.—
Angela Palermo,
Idaho Statesman,
7 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Some of those people have been arrested directly by ICE agents while others have been arrested by other law enforcement agencies, placed on immigration holds within county jails and then arrested by ICE while being held.—
Juan Cordoba,
Arkansas Online,
12 Jan. 2026
-
Stewart visited three county jails in 2024 and found major lapses in medical and mental health care.—
Jeff McDonald,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
12 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Tadd Fujikawa, just shy of his 16th birthday, steals the show at the Sony Open.—
Assistant Sports Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Jan. 2026
-
Millions are unemployed as AI steals entry-level roles—and experts don’t see the dire situation improving, instead warning that the traditional college-to-office path is forever broken.—
Orianna Rosa Royle,
Fortune,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Bascombe is the one who arrests Jamie Miller (Cooper) under suspicion of murder.—
Yamillah Hurtado,
PEOPLE,
12 Jan. 2026
-
Police officer Hugo Crussi (Vogrincic) traces the voice to a young preacher, Jonas Flores (Zurita), and arrests him.—
Anna Marie de la Fuente,
Variety,
28 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Foucault did not want simply to write a history of prisons but to produce an account of how power circulates in modern society—not merely through the carceral system but also in universities, medical institutions, the workplace, and the military.—
The New Yorker,
New Yorker,
12 Jan. 2026
-
The initiative currently runs three times a year at four California prisons.—
Georgina Jedikovska,
Interesting Engineering,
12 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Soon after, a desperate man named Boomba, who witnessed Ma stealing from the shelter, breaks into her home and swipes her food, her phone, and a purse containing her family’s invaluable travel documents.—
Tope Folarin,
The Atlantic,
8 Nov. 2025
-
Wednesday swipes Enid’s driver’s-ed consent form to sneak off to visit Tyler at Willow Hill Psychiatric Hospital.—
Jessica M. Goldstein,
Vulture,
6 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
The Department of Education first resumed the Treasury Offset program, which seizes defaulted borrowers’ federal payments, on May 5, 2025.—
Kamaron McNair,
CNBC,
9 Jan. 2026
-
The slender but powerful book takes place over the course of a week, when Ma’s plans are suddenly imperiled while Boomba seizes the chance to make up for his past mistakes and help his family.—
Stuart Miller,
Oc Register,
22 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
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
-
After his conviction, Gray was sent to Angola, one of the most violent penitentiaries in the country at the time.—
Richard A. Webster,
ProPublica,
25 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Nicks.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nicks. Accessed 15 Jan. 2026.
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