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as in root
the central part or aspect of something under consideration
the nub of the argument is that the intelligence agencies failed the country
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of nub
Manhattan Beach is a teensy, moneyed nub of Brooklyn past Brighton Beach where 1920s Tudors and 1990s starter castles sit shoulder to shoulder on wide, suburban-style streets.
—
Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 28 Oct. 2025
This wooden foot massager roller features an arched design and rows of nubs to hit different acupressure points to provide relief.
—L. Daniela Alvarez, Better Homes & Gardens, 29 Sep. 2025
My rubber-shod toes were pressed on little nubs the size of chicken nuggets.
—Emily Meg Weinstein
september 5, Literary Hub, 5 Sep. 2025
If not for the rhythmic motion of the stylus’s nub against the touch screen, he could have been mistaken for someone meditating.
—Matt Alt, New Yorker, 25 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for nub
Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 28 Oct. 2025
This wooden foot massager roller features an arched design and rows of nubs to hit different acupressure points to provide relief.
—L. Daniela Alvarez, Better Homes & Gardens, 29 Sep. 2025
My rubber-shod toes were pressed on little nubs the size of chicken nuggets.
—Emily Meg Weinstein
september 5, Literary Hub, 5 Sep. 2025
If not for the rhythmic motion of the stylus’s nub against the touch screen, he could have been mistaken for someone meditating.
—Matt Alt, New Yorker, 25 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for nub
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nub
Noun
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Harris, an Oak Lawn native, actually missed a chunk of her sophomore season with a knee injury but has returned with a consistent vengeance, also averaging 15 points a game as a junior.—
Jeff Vorva,
Chicago Tribune,
6 Jan. 2026
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Barnes ably defended Atlanta big man Kristaps Porziņģis for a good chunk of the first half on Monday, despite playing with two fouls.—
Eric Koreen,
New York Times,
6 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The roots anchor in the soil, providing a firm foundation for stems, branches, and leaves.—
Megan Hughes,
Better Homes & Gardens,
8 Nov. 2025
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Mulch provides insulation from extreme temperatures (cold and hot) by protecting the root system.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
Southern Living,
8 Nov. 2025
Noun
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These ads showed images of tractors, mountains of blueberries and a man’s hands massaging a clump of dirt, each segment highlighting a different part of the industry.—
Carolina Abbott Galvão,
The Dial,
6 Jan. 2026
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Divide the clumps every two years and replant some of the bulbs.—
Quincy Bulin,
Southern Living,
3 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Visa and MasterCard have responded to growing scrutiny with minor, cosmetic adjustments, but the core problem remains unchanged.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
9 Jan. 2026
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Instead, creators will take on the role of consultants, as brands develop more substantial partnerships with the talent that now make up such a core part of their marketing strategies.—
Madeleine Schulz,
Vogue,
9 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Put a few hunks of cornbread on your greens and top them with the juices for a life-changing experience.—
AJ Willingham,
AJC.com,
1 Jan. 2026
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On the other hand, there is the new Whitney, whose west side, facing the Hudson, resembles a ship with a white sail—if the sail were a hunk of Styrofoam and the ship sinking.—
Jackson Arn,
Harpers Magazine,
30 Dec. 2025
Noun
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In this poetry collection, Vilariño strips poetry to its essence—distilling love, loss, and the inexorable passage of time into spare yet searing verses.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 Nov. 2025
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Stripped to their symbolic essence, the erotics of Frankenstein are about the body as meat, electrified by carnal pleasure and unencumbered by the soul.—
Katie Rife,
Vulture,
9 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Use those wads of wrapping paper leftover from a birthday, baby shower, or holiday bash to stuff the bottom and sides of the box and prevent shifting during shipping.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
25 Dec. 2025
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Finding a small liver wad incredibly difficult.—
Dawn White,
CBS News,
12 Dec. 2025
Noun
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Kipling City Pack Backpack Pocket space is at the very heart of this backpack’s design, which has over five different compartments on the interior and exterior.—
Michelle Baricevic,
Travel + Leisure,
9 Jan. 2026
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What the museum dream team did not see was the pain in our hearts about this jail.—
Dorothy Jenkins Fields,
Miami Herald,
9 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Nub.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nub. Accessed 11 Jan. 2026.
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