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
-
Keep an eye out for tiny brown or orange specks, especially around door edges, undercarriage and seams.—
Jenna Prestininzi,
USA Today,
25 Mar. 2026
-
A little speck on the metaphorical Southlake Carroll wall that’s been historically dominated by its eight-time state champion football program.—
Shawn McFarland,
Dallas Morning News,
20 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
But the film also sees the roots of toxic nativism elsewhere, especially in the wars being waged in Ukraine and Gaza, both of which become passing points of conversation.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
27 Mar. 2026
-
Gatewood had been tasked with overseeing the Johnson administration's efforts to address the root causes of crime and violence in Chicago and coming up with a plan for public safety.—
Lauren Victory,
CBS News,
26 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Berber carpet Berber is a type of loop pile carpet with flecks of color.—
Faith Wakefield,
USA Today,
12 Mar. 2026
-
Using x-ray fluorescence spectrometry, scholars determined that the ancient off-white fluid was composed of calcite, huntite, and miniscule flecks of yellow orpiment, a highly toxic sulfide of arsenic that Egyptians also used in medicine to treat syphilis and malaria.—
News Desk,
Artforum,
9 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Choose a task and finish it with heart!—
Tarot.com,
New York Daily News,
31 Mar. 2026
-
The post also included a red heart.—
Anna Commander,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
A little bit of that football mindset in the sense of you just got to go 1-0 that day.—
Roderick Boone,
Charlotte Observer,
29 Mar. 2026
-
Hours and hours of rolling green hills and rice paddies passed by the windows, the pale pools amid the shoots flashing bits of sky.—
Cassandra Neyenesch,
New Yorker,
29 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
At their core, these cases are centered on allegations of corporate negligence and how tech products are built, by humans, to function.—
Maggie Harrison Dupré,
Futurism,
26 Mar. 2026
-
William Blair downgraded the stock to a hold from buy, citing intense AI competition in its core creative cloud business.—
Jim Cramer,
CNBC,
26 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The particles that make up these dark nebulae are of a finite size, and that size is extremely good at absorbing visible light.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
26 Mar. 2026
-
Burning coal produces fine particles that lodge deep in the lungs and bloodstream, raising the risk of heart disease, stroke, lung cancer and chronic respiratory disease, according to the World Health Organization.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
25 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The Bottom Line on Sleepmaxxing As with many social media health trends, there’s a kernel of a good idea here.—
Helen Carefoot,
Flow Space,
11 Mar. 2026
-
In addition to the bacon and sausage, this queso is packed with filling black beans, corn kernels, scallions, cheese, jalapeños, and our favorite, Rotel tomatoes.—
Josh Miller,
Southern Living,
8 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Nubbin.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nubbin. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.
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