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
3
as in stole
to take (something) without right and with an intent to keep
that guy nipped my wallet from the restaurant table when I turned away
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in raced
to proceed or move quickly
I'll just nip off to the corner store for some milk
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of nipped
Katie Abel,
Footwear News,
26 Sep. 2025
Hector Vickers,
New York Times,
21 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
Darby hit a Scorpion Death Drop and nipped up to his feet.
—
Alfred Konuwa,
Forbes.com,
24 May 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
In 1968, an overzealous pup nipped a postman delivering mail to Balmoral Castle.
—
Zoey Lyttle,
PEOPLE,
19 Apr. 2026
Merrimack College was eliminated by North Dakota, Providence College was bounced by Quinnipiac and the University of Connecticut was nipped by Michigan State on Thursday.
—
Barry Scanlon,
Boston Herald,
27 Mar. 2026
There was also a scuba aesthetic that continued from last season with honkering inflatable coats, cocooning anoraks, and neoprene blazers nipped at the waist that looked like couture life vests and scuba suits.
—
Kevin Huynh,
InStyle,
12 Mar. 2026
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
In the end, a ball that nipped back in from Harry Conway, bowling around the wicket, did for Stokes five runs short of his century.
—
Hector Vickers,
New York Times,
21 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
Darby hit a Scorpion Death Drop and nipped up to his feet.
—
Alfred Konuwa,
Forbes.com,
24 May 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
In 1968, an overzealous pup nipped a postman delivering mail to Balmoral Castle.
—
Zoey Lyttle,
PEOPLE,
19 Apr. 2026
Merrimack College was eliminated by North Dakota, Providence College was bounced by Quinnipiac and the University of Connecticut was nipped by Michigan State on Thursday.
—
Barry Scanlon,
Boston Herald,
27 Mar. 2026
There was also a scuba aesthetic that continued from last season with honkering inflatable coats, cocooning anoraks, and neoprene blazers nipped at the waist that looked like couture life vests and scuba suits.
—
Kevin Huynh,
InStyle,
12 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nipped
Adjective
-
First up, a light and lovely starter course of chilled soup.
-
Cool off with your new favorite chilled watermelon soup.
Verb
-
So why have even more months been shaved off?
-
And most of my family didn’t know that my father had not shaved for a week when his father died.
Verb
-
The rope around my left thigh pinched and clawed at the butterflies inked on my skin.
-
The chain has been further pinched in recent years by the growth of DoorDash, Uber Eats and other restaurant delivery companies which marketed access to a slew of cuisines besides pizza.
Verb
-
Joshua Serad, of Maple Shade, stole and damaged Pride flags Monday in the business district of Haddonfield on Kings Highway, according to police.
-
Fudd followed with a go-ahead layup that put Dallas up 111-110 before Jessica Shepard stole the ball, and Aziaha James capped the scoring with a free throw to end it.
Verb
-
The tradition of dragon boat races was born from the story that people raced out in boats to search for the poet and threw rice into the river so fish would not eat his body.
-
Across southeast Asia, governments have raced to facilitate deployment of electric vehicles and other fuel-efficiency measures.
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.
-
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.
Verb
-
The current unrest first erupted in May after Paz cut long-standing fuel subsidies to shrink the deficit.
-
Some analysts expect Apple could benefit as manufacturers of Android devices cut specs or raise prices.
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.
-
That means every state budget could be held hostage until the whims of a small fraction of legislators is satisfied.
Cite this Entry
“Nipped.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nipped. Accessed 27 Jun. 2026.
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