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
-
Like specks of dirt falling victim to a vacuum, balls were simply drawn into his glove.—
Kyle Feldscher,
CNN Money,
19 June 2025
-
This natural phenomenon, in which light-emitting sea creatures like algae cause the water to glitter with specks of blue and white light, is best viewed on a dark, moonless night.—
Jessie Beck,
AFAR Media,
16 June 2025
Noun
-
The roots of the Phlegms begin with McKitrick, who grew up in Houston, Texas, and Williams, who is from Little Rock.—
Sean Clancy,
Arkansas Online,
26 June 2025
-
The billion-dollar tourist attraction with south Texas roots has been inching north into other states and is on track to start building a new location off Village West Parkway in KCK this year.—
Sofi Zeman,
Kansas City Star,
26 June 2025
Noun
-
The gloss comes in six sheer shades, ranging from clear to a purple hue, and four of them include shimmery flecks that’ll catch the light to make your lips look even juicier.—
Angela Trakoshis,
Allure,
4 June 2025
-
Miniature crystals dot the brown enamel to look like flecks of salt.—
Jamie Allison Sanders,
People.com,
9 May 2025
Noun
-
Rather than solely leaning on designing for moneyed families and those with means to drop thousands on new pieces each season, the designer opts to create from his heart.—
Robyn Mowatt,
Essence,
22 June 2025
-
Roth went right for Rubin’s heart, invoking the Paul Skenes Topps MLB Debut Patch autographed one-of-one card that famously sold for $1.11 million to Dick’s Sporting Goods in March.—
Larry Holder,
New York Times,
22 June 2025
Noun
-
The Bruins did a little bit of business on Sunday, signing forward Marat Khusnutdinov and defenseman Michael Callahan to two- and one-year deals, respectively.—
Stephen Conroy,
Hartford Courant,
30 June 2025
-
Of course, the piano does seem to be at least a little bit haunted by an ’80s pop star named Vision.—
Caroline Carlson
June 30,
Literary Hub,
30 June 2025
Noun
-
Despite Benfica’s determination to preserve the core of a potentially special team, Fernandez returned to Portugal with Chelsea hot in pursuit.—
Liam Twomey,
New York Times,
28 June 2025
-
At the time, activists were organizing a protest at the property for Sunday, the same day that a core group of private contractors was planning to hold a meeting on site.—
Ana Ceballos,
Miami Herald,
28 June 2025
Noun
-
Scrub your way across the surface to dislodge any final particles and help remove germs and bacteria, then rinse the grill grates well with fresh water.—
Karla Walsh,
Better Homes & Gardens,
28 June 2025
-
Use a rake and shovel to clear leaves, sticks, and wood chips from your yard, and a leaf blower for any fine particles.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
27 June 2025
Noun
-
This delicious salad is packed with bold flavor thanks to smoky-spiced corn kernels and a jalapeño ranch dressing, perfectly balanced by bites of creamy avocado and crisp romaine.—
Ronny Maye,
Forbes.com,
29 June 2025
-
While bacon cooks, remove kernels from corn cobs and place in a large bowl.—
Marianne Williams,
Southern Living,
28 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Nubbin.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nubbin. Accessed 3 Jul. 2025.
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