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
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
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
-
The cold gave us the sense of being a tiny little speck in this big city, and then of going through a door into a warm space with twelve other musicians.—
Emma Madden,
Pitchfork,
4 Sep. 2025
-
The waterfront spread near the northern Indiana town of Culver is listed for a speck under $20 million with Andrea Kelly of Encore Sotheby’s International Realty.—
Wendy Bowman,
Robb Report,
3 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
For example, most types of turfgrass have short roots, and soil samples from lawns only need to be dug to a depth of 4 inches.—
Lauren Landers,
Better Homes & Gardens,
7 Sep. 2025
-
The roots of my family tree are firmly established in the soil of Great Britain.—
Elizabeth Bass Parman,
PEOPLE,
7 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Its black and white or brown flecks convey a fresh, modern feel that's ideal for breaking away from the tyranny of basics.—
María Munsuri,
Glamour,
24 Aug. 2025
-
Although other pests cause similar damage, thrips damage is often associate with numerous small flecks of dark green to black fecal matter.—
Arricca Elin SanSone,
Southern Living,
5 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Kahan, known for his raw anthems, offers more insight into the inner workings of his heart in his lyrics than in public comments.—
Anna Kaufman,
USA Today,
4 Sep. 2025
-
This isn’t the first study to suggest the importance of breakfast for living a long life—research has shown that regularly eating a morning meal is linked with lower overall and heart-related mortality (and that bypassing it can up your heart-disease risk).—
Erica Sloan,
SELF,
4 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Subtle bits of faux wheat give it additional texture, and there’s an attached loop in the back for easy hanging.—
Shea Simmons,
Southern Living,
5 Sep. 2025
-
There’s trouble in paradise in this surprisingly profound soccer comedy, which takes an episode from 2002 that passed most of the world by but left the Republic of Ireland in bits, so much so that it was even compared (elsewhere, obviously) to the death of Princess Diana.—
Damon Wise,
Deadline,
5 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Understanding these dynamics is a key piece in the puzzle of planet formation, as dust settles into larger layers including pebbles and rocks, and eventually planetary cores.—
Kenna Hughes-Castleberry,
Space.com,
4 Sep. 2025
-
Google is suffering outages in multiple countries, with core services such as Gmail and YouTube experiencing issues, the tracking website DownDetector reported.—
Robert Birsel,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
In the bathroom, your skin isn't the only thing that shed particles that turn into dust.—
Ashlyn Needham,
Southern Living,
5 Sep. 2025
-
It’s assumed that there are more relationships, and deeper (mathematical) connections, between the particles that are known to exist in the Universe.—
Ethan Siegel,
Big Think,
5 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Get the recipe > Saveur’s editor at large Shane Mitchell shared these Southern-style pancakes, which get their subtle chew from fresh corn kernels.—
SAVEUR Editors,
Saveur,
4 Sep. 2025
-
Here, however, the child offers a kernel to his mother.—
Demir Alp,
JSTOR Daily,
29 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Nubbin.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nubbin. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.
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