nubbin

noun

ˈnə-bən How to pronounce nubbin (audio)
Definition of nubbinnext
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

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nubbin
  1. speck
  2. root
  3. fleck
  4. heart
  5. bit
  6. core
  7. particle
  8. kernel
Noun
  • The pair are flip sides of the same coin; Kinney a speck of blue running in a red state, and Austin a Republican running in the Democratic stronghold of Connecticut.
    — Barbara Sprunt, NPR, 1 Nov. 2026
  • Chips could be destroyed by even a speck of dust, so factories became impregnable clean rooms, their workers clad in bunny suits.
    — Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of speck
Noun
  • Pump Social’s roots The dream come true all started for the Donners with time spent in California’s wine country, learning and growing professionally.
    — Heidi Finley, Charlotte Observer, 11 Nov. 2026
  • The behemoth agency, which traces its roots to the Civil War, is both the country’s largest healthcare system and one of its most effective.
    — Eric Umansky, ProPublica, 11 Nov. 2026
Definition of root
Noun
  • In addition, since all this debris is moving at orbital velocity, a fleck of paint traveling in the opposite direction to an operational satellite can hit it at a speed in excess of Mach 47.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 22 Oct. 2026
  • As few as 10 cells, hidden in an infinitesimal fleck of feces, can contaminate raw milk and trigger a fatal infection.
    — CNN Money, CNN Money, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of fleck
Noun
  • During a recent interview with Fox News Digital, James, 32, opened up about how the project became a deeply personal way to reconnect with Bill, who passed away in February 2017 following heart surgery.
    — Ashley Hume , Larry Fink, FOXNews.com, 6 Nov. 2026
  • Sola Media managing director Solveig Langeland said mixing humor and heart has always sat at the center of the studio’s storytelling, backed by its skill at bringing characters to life through strong voice casts.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 6 Nov. 2026
Definition of heart
Noun
  • Jama took to social media to share a goodbye message with some of her best bits from the ITV reality series.
    — Armando Tinoco, Deadline, 8 Nov. 2026
  • But, unfortunately, got a little bit tangled up and fell awkward.
    — Adam Lichtenstein, Sun Sentinel, 8 Nov. 2026
Definition of bit
Noun
  • The backstory The first Mandarin Oriental hotel—then called The Mandarin—opened its doors in Hong Kong in 1963 and has remained central to the hotel group’s core values, despite global expansion.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Nov. 2026
  • The Acer laptop earned top marks in both the Cinebench and Geekbench single-core CPU tests, and came in a respectable second place for the Cinebench multi-core and HandBrake video conversion tests.
    — Marshall Honorof, PC Magazine, 7 Nov. 2026
Definition of core
Noun
  • Earning a ghostly reputation by avoiding gravity and nuclear forces, these abundant particles stream through us daily without leaving a single trace.
    — Ameya Paleja, Interesting Engineering, 10 Nov. 2026
  • The dark particles coat white snow and soak up heat from the sun, exacerbating melting that was already happening more quickly because of climate change.
    — Connie Hanzhang Jin, NPR, 8 Nov. 2026
Definition of particle
Noun
  • The October run identified 948, more than five times as many, despite three months of additional kernel hardening.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 5 Nov. 2026
  • OpenAI says researchers used GPT-6 Cyber to find 81 previously unknown, high-severity Firefox vulnerabilities and develop working exploits for 948 Linux kernel vulnerabilities, including 588 previously unknown flaws.
    — Wen Shao, Fortune, 5 Nov. 2026
Definition of kernel

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nubbin
nubbins
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Cite this Entry

“Nubbin.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nubbin. Accessed 13 Nov. 2026.

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