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
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Recent Examples of nipped
Katie Abel, Footwear News, 26 Sep. 2025
Bea L. Hines, Miami Herald, 13 Feb. 2026
Kurt Busch nipped Johnson by eight points in 2004, followed by Stewart’s 52-point margin in 2005.
—Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 13 Feb. 2026
This could easily have been nipped in the bud had Brook confessed to what had happened before the third ODI in Wellington, rather than halfway through the game itself, and then immediately been suspended just for that game by England.
—Paul Newman, New York Times, 3 Feb. 2026
Mercedes pulled the wraps off the 2027 S500 4Matic, S580 4Matic, and S580e 4Matic today, heralding a not completely new, but largely refreshed, nipped, and tucked version of the German automaker’s flagship sedan.
—Jerry Perez, The Drive, 29 Jan. 2026
Then Kyle Shanahan nipped the situation in the bud on Thursday.
—Chris Biderman, Sacbee.com, 15 Jan. 2026
Boise State head coach Spencer Danielson nipped that idea in the bud following Saturday night’s loss.
—Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 14 Dec. 2025
Tiafoe nipped Alcaraz in a tiebreaker in 2024.
—Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 5 Dec. 2025
Elsewhere, a glass of orange juice propped on the side of an easel seemed to hint at an artist who just nipped out for a break.
—Joelle Diderich, Footwear News, 27 Oct. 2025
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
Why weren’t these unsavory tactics nipped in the bud?
—Bea L. Hines, Miami Herald, 13 Feb. 2026
Kurt Busch nipped Johnson by eight points in 2004, followed by Stewart’s 52-point margin in 2005.
—Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 13 Feb. 2026
This could easily have been nipped in the bud had Brook confessed to what had happened before the third ODI in Wellington, rather than halfway through the game itself, and then immediately been suspended just for that game by England.
—Paul Newman, New York Times, 3 Feb. 2026
Mercedes pulled the wraps off the 2027 S500 4Matic, S580 4Matic, and S580e 4Matic today, heralding a not completely new, but largely refreshed, nipped, and tucked version of the German automaker’s flagship sedan.
—Jerry Perez, The Drive, 29 Jan. 2026
Then Kyle Shanahan nipped the situation in the bud on Thursday.
—Chris Biderman, Sacbee.com, 15 Jan. 2026
Boise State head coach Spencer Danielson nipped that idea in the bud following Saturday night’s loss.
—Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 14 Dec. 2025
Tiafoe nipped Alcaraz in a tiebreaker in 2024.
—Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 5 Dec. 2025
Elsewhere, a glass of orange juice propped on the side of an easel seemed to hint at an artist who just nipped out for a break.
—Joelle Diderich, Footwear News, 27 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nipped
Adjective
-
Whether your climate is warm or not, consider ordering pre-chilled bulbs.—
Andy Wilcox,
Better Homes & Gardens,
19 Feb. 2026
-
Just a few hours into a pre-launch test called a wet dress rehearsal in early February, launch controllers found that enough super-chilled liquid hydrogen fuel was leaking at the launchpad to prompt safety concerns.—
Jackie Wattles,
CNN Money,
18 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Agwunobi had claimed to have shaved $20 million off the hospital’s debt.—
Kevin Rennie,
Hartford Courant,
28 Feb. 2026
-
Max Silnicki, who runs the Washington Avenue Barber Shop, shaved the heads of 10,000 Jews in Nazi concentration camps before they were cremated.—
Miami Herald Archives,
Miami Herald,
27 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Higher gas prices would crimp household budgets at a time when many consumers are already feeling pinched by an affordability crunch, with Americans expressing concerns about the rising cost of food, health care and housing.—
Aimee Picchi,
CBS News,
2 Mar. 2026
-
The shelves are bare, and the pennies are being pinched.—
Omar Kelly,
Miami Herald,
1 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Charging documents from Howard County allege that Gough mostly stole jewelry and electronics.—
JT Moodee Lockman,
CBS News,
4 Mar. 2026
-
In 2018, for instance, Israel’s Mossad national intelligence agency broke into an Iranian facility and stole archives on Iran’s nuclear activities, 55,000 pages and another 55,000 files stored on CDs.—
Gregory F. Treverton,
The Conversation,
3 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The 2020 Democratic presidential primary, the party's last open nominating contest, featured a rush to the left as candidates raced to embrace far-reaching ideas including Medicare-for-all, the Green New Deal and aggressive taxes on billionaires.—
JEFF STEIN THE WASHINGTON POST,
Arkansas Online,
6 Mar. 2026
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Storms that raced through the area early Friday, with frequent lightning and thunder, are expected to linger into the morning before moving out, the weather service said.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
6 Mar. 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
-
Idaho lawmakers are trying to balance the budget this year after cutting over $450 million in revenue in 2025.—
Idaho Statesman,
Idaho Statesman,
7 Mar. 2026
-
One piece of legislation that's drawn a lot of attention is a resolution that could have cut property taxes for homeowners by 75% or more through a state constitutional amendment.—
Dan Raby,
CBS News,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
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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
Cite this Entry
“Nipped.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nipped. Accessed 7 Mar. 2026.
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