nipped 1 of 2

nipped

2 of 2

verb

past tense of nip
1
as in shaved
to make (something) shorter or smaller with the use of a cutting instrument I'm just going to nip these hedges, and then I'll be done with the work outside

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

2
as in pinched
to squeeze tightly between two surfaces, edges, or points the puppy nipped her hand while playing

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

3
4

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 nipped
Adjective
One standout style, with its elongated pointed nipped toe, is crafted in carbon fiber and galvanized in a car factory. — Katie Abel, Footwear News, 26 Sep. 2025
Verb
And nipped any indication that Williams was taunting the 45-year-old coach in the bud. — Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 14 Sep. 2026 Cristopher Sanchez worked six effective innings to become the majors’ first 16-game winner as the Philadelphia Phillies nipped the visiting Miami Marlins 6-5 on Monday. — Miami Herald, 18 Aug. 2026 The Stars attempted to deal Robertson to the Kraken, but Robertson nipped that in the bud. — Julian McKenzie, New York Times, 22 July 2026 As the defender swung his leg at the ball, Yamal nipped in ahead of him and was accidentally kicked by Digne. — Aleks Klosok, CNN Money, 14 July 2026 Whatever the interpretation, unless it's nipped in the bud, it can be magnified by expansion across sites. — Andrew Zhyvolovych, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026 Incumbent Mayor Terry Lynne nipped Jaime Rivas by 25 votes in Saturday's Farmers Branch mayoral runoff, according to final but unofficial returns. — Doug Myers, CBS News, 14 June 2026 But Sweeney nipped that idea in the bud. — Selome Hailu, Variety, 1 June 2026 To prove out the findings in real biology, Schramma stuck his arm back into the fish tank, nipped more leaves, and snapped microscope images of the cells within to measure Elodea’s actual packing fractions. — Quanta Magazine, 4 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nipped
Adjective
  • At one point, Coover pulled the cover off a super-chilled metallic cylinder labeled big baby main.
    — Kyle Paoletta, Harpers Magazine, 22 Sep. 2026
  • For anyone raised below the Mason-Dixon line, a chilled glass of sugary iced tea is pure comfort, and not just during summer.
    — Natalia Vela, Southern Living, 20 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • With his head shaved and his chest usually bared, Yousuke Yukimatsu melds body and machine to choreograph intensely physical sonic marathons.
    — Mark Jenkins, Washington Post, 30 Sep. 2026
  • Cook, when his head is not shaved as in his prison mugshot, has red hair.
    — Kate Payne, Miami Herald, 30 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Workers have been frantically building an emergency revetment — placing rocks on the coast to armor the shoreline against the waves — to shore up the roadway, located on a narrow strip of coastline pinched between the ocean and a cliff.
    — Robert Gauthier, Los Angeles Times, 31 Aug. 2026
  • On the final play of the first quarter of Saturday’s preseason opener, backup quarterback Kyle Allen scrambled left and got pinched off near the sideline.
    — Tim Graham, New York Times, 16 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Who stole the campaign lawn signs from their neighbors’ yards?
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 1 Oct. 2026
  • According to the Broward Sheriff’s Office, an employee at the Atlantic Palms Apartments called deputies Tuesday after reporting that Jerome stole a toolbox from a maintenance shed.
    — Abby Dodge, Miami Herald, 1 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Shawn suddenly jumped up from his seat and raced to the entrance.
    — Rachel Heng, New Yorker, 4 Oct. 2026
  • Verstappen won the last time F1 raced at the Sepang circuit back in 2017.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 3 Oct. 2026
Adjective
  • When Bill’s older brother Henry (Barry Ward) finds the pianist in numbed solitude in his dingy apartment, Bill has canceled all his upcoming gigs, saying Scotty cannot be replaced.
    — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 13 Feb. 2026
  • Ingber also notes the numbed response to these strikes from much of the American public, something that, in part, may come from the routine nature of these drone strikes as something that the nation has become desensitized to dropping bombs on enemies.
    — Rebecca Schneid, Time, 21 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • For decades, the European Union has led the world in implementing policies designed to cut emissions, creating the world’s most important price on carbon and crafting the rules of the road for a wide range of regulatory efforts.
    — Justin Worland, Time, 3 Oct. 2026
  • Staff cut raw chicken and then proceeded to cut lamb without washing, rinsing and sanitizing cutting boards and prep tables.
    — Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 2 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • The rapper, who pleaded not guilty to all charges, has been held at the Brooklyn Metropolitan Detention Center since he was arrested in September 2024.
    — Daniel S. Levine, People.com, 6 Aug. 2025
  • That means every state budget could be held hostage until the whims of a small fraction of legislators is satisfied.
    — Ross O'Keefe, The Washington Examiner, 6 Aug. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Nipped.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nipped. Accessed 8 Oct. 2026.

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