1
as in speck
a very small piece
had only a nubbin of crayon left
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in root
the central part or aspect of something under consideration
this nubbin of the intelligence report is the prediction that the country's government will soon fall
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of nubbin
Secchi’s ragù is the opposite of bouncy meat nubbins bobbing in tomato sauce.
—
Chris Morocco, Bon Appetit Magazine, 16 Apr. 2025
Double-tapping the nubbin now pops up a menu with volume and microphone controls and voice typing.
—PCMAG, 17 Jan. 2025
The Carbon has two sets of pointing devices: a smallish touchpad, and ThinkPads' trademark TrackPoint keyboard nubbin with three mouse buttons.
—PCMAG, 17 Jan. 2025
Double-tapping the nubbin now pops up a menu with volume and microphone controls and voice typing.
—PCMAG, 17 Jan. 2025
Ground nubbins of paprika, cumin, sage and black pepper that have moldered into flavorless, colored molecules.
—Scott Hocker, theweek, 23 Dec. 2024
Heffernan, a gravely captivating newcomer, wraps each expression and gesture around a hard little nubbin of distrust.
—Justin Chang, The New Yorker, 25 Oct. 2024
Being a bit of a handy man in a fight himself, Father Ryan taught Frankie how to roll with a punch, how to upset a right swing with a left stab to his shoulder, and how to swing in with a right cross to the nubbin of the chin while his man was off keel.
—Westbrook Pegler, New York Daily News, 18 Jan. 2024
That changed at 1:03 a.m. on Dec. 5 when 192 giant lasers at the laboratory’s National Ignition Facility blasted a small cylinder about the size of a pencil eraser that contained a frozen nubbin of hydrogen encased in diamond.
—Kenneth Chang, BostonGlobe.com, 13 Dec. 2022
Chris Morocco, Bon Appetit Magazine, 16 Apr. 2025
Double-tapping the nubbin now pops up a menu with volume and microphone controls and voice typing.
—PCMAG, 17 Jan. 2025
The Carbon has two sets of pointing devices: a smallish touchpad, and ThinkPads' trademark TrackPoint keyboard nubbin with three mouse buttons.
—PCMAG, 17 Jan. 2025
Double-tapping the nubbin now pops up a menu with volume and microphone controls and voice typing.
—PCMAG, 17 Jan. 2025
Ground nubbins of paprika, cumin, sage and black pepper that have moldered into flavorless, colored molecules.
—Scott Hocker, theweek, 23 Dec. 2024
Heffernan, a gravely captivating newcomer, wraps each expression and gesture around a hard little nubbin of distrust.
—Justin Chang, The New Yorker, 25 Oct. 2024
Being a bit of a handy man in a fight himself, Father Ryan taught Frankie how to roll with a punch, how to upset a right swing with a left stab to his shoulder, and how to swing in with a right cross to the nubbin of the chin while his man was off keel.
—Westbrook Pegler, New York Daily News, 18 Jan. 2024
That changed at 1:03 a.m. on Dec. 5 when 192 giant lasers at the laboratory’s National Ignition Facility blasted a small cylinder about the size of a pencil eraser that contained a frozen nubbin of hydrogen encased in diamond.
—Kenneth Chang, BostonGlobe.com, 13 Dec. 2022
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nubbin
Noun
-
With five stores and a small online presence, Whim is just a speck in the vast retail universe.—
Ken Belson,
New York Times,
12 Apr. 2025
-
Having very high levels of fluoride can result in some erosion of tooth enamel, which can predispose people to tooth staining and can cause little white specks on the teeth, says Oller.—
Sherri Gordon, CLC,
Parents,
11 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Medications and lifestyle changes that address the root cause may help ease a dry cough, including: GERD and acid reflux: Medications like proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) and H2 blockers help reduce the amount of acid your stomach produces.—
Lindsay Curtis,
Health,
27 Apr. 2025
-
The long tap root can be eaten raw in salads or boiled and eaten like parsnips.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
Southern Living,
27 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
For me, there’s nothing more disappointing in a carrot cake than one that is light-colored and airy like, well, cake with flecks of carrots in it.—
Carolynn Carreño,
Los Angeles Times,
22 Apr. 2025
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Plus, because of the wet look the pair have struck on, her color looks darker, too—interspersed with golden flecks and darker, acorn tones.—
Morgan Fargo,
Vogue,
28 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Yellows 1, 2, 3 and 4: Were all banned in 1959 after they were potentially linked to lesions and heart damage.—
Mary Walrath-Holdridge,
USA Today,
24 Apr. 2025
-
This presents the reader, especially one steeped in mystery fiction, with a familiar irony: Skilled detectives typically win readers’ hearts because of their flaws, not despite them.—
Talya Zax,
The Atlantic,
23 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
With stealth mechanics now in the mix, Metroid Dread doubled down on the scarier bits of Metroid Fusion to create gameplay sections where deadly EMMI robots have to be avoided, at least until Samus regains her strength (big shock).—
Fran Ruiz,
Space.com,
1 May 2025
-
Just kind of having a little bit of a different style of play.—
Alex Zietlow,
Charlotte Observer,
1 May 2025
Noun
-
This is a cult Skims piece, and it’s designed to cinch the waist thanks to the extra compression at the core.—
Emma Spedding,
Glamour,
29 Apr. 2025
-
While Republicans broadly support the core tax cut proposals Trump has championed, some have raised concerns about the overall fiscal impact of the package, which by some estimates could add around $5 trillion to the national debt in the next decade.—
Mohammed Soliman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
The Central Valley metro area ranked third in the nation in terms of year-round particle pollution and fifth in terms of short-term particle pollution.—
Fernanda Galan,
Sacbee.com,
29 Apr. 2025
-
Residents are being told to avoid lighting candles, burning incense, using fireplaces, or grilling—activities that can increase indoor particle pollution.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
These are all executives marketing their products, obviously, but is there even a kernel of possibility in these predictions?—
Matteo Wong,
The Atlantic,
25 Apr. 2025
-
Realizing that person flat out fell for all the affection and the little kernels of probably very true and mutual love.—
Steve Baltin,
Forbes.com,
21 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Nubbin.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nubbin. Accessed 4 May. 2025.
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