1
as in chunks
a small uneven mass
throw a nub of butter into the frying pan
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in roots
the central part or aspect of something under consideration
the nub of the argument is that the intelligence agencies failed the country
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of nubs
Slugs and snails are some of the peskiest garden visitors that can riddle plant leaves with ragged holes or chew tender crops like lettuce down to nubs overnight.
—
Lauren Landers,
Better Homes & Gardens,
18 June 2026
The high-tops were essentially created as high-top basketball shoes with nubs tailored to astroturf, and a zippered tongue features an additional velcro layer at the top.
—
Ian Servantes,
Footwear News,
9 June 2026
Ephemera directs the brain to the tiniest concrete nubs of consciousness, calming the quaking mind and bringing us back to ourselves.
—
Literary Hub,
20 May 2026
How To Thoroughly Clean Your Bath Mat Cloth Cloth bath mats typically feature nubs, twists, or loops of fabric.
—
Mary Catherine McAnnally Scott,
Southern Living,
12 May 2026
Her trick is to finely chop the ginger, instead of grating it, so there are spicy-sweet nubs in each bite.
—
Nina Moskowitz,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
10 Mar. 2026
Best Nylabone chew toys for puppies This three-pack includes one softer starter bone with nubs that are great for teething, one slightly tougher bone to move onto and one edible bone.
—
Bestreviews,
Mercury News,
4 Mar. 2026
Legs were wound down to nubs and heads inflated to egregious proportions.
—
Andrew Norman Wilson,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Feb. 2026
Fumbling with the plastic nubs can be painful and frustrating.
—
Zoe Gates,
Outside,
28 Oct. 2025
Lauren Landers,
Better Homes & Gardens,
18 June 2026
The high-tops were essentially created as high-top basketball shoes with nubs tailored to astroturf, and a zippered tongue features an additional velcro layer at the top.
—
Ian Servantes,
Footwear News,
9 June 2026
Ephemera directs the brain to the tiniest concrete nubs of consciousness, calming the quaking mind and bringing us back to ourselves.
—
Literary Hub,
20 May 2026
How To Thoroughly Clean Your Bath Mat Cloth Cloth bath mats typically feature nubs, twists, or loops of fabric.
—
Mary Catherine McAnnally Scott,
Southern Living,
12 May 2026
Her trick is to finely chop the ginger, instead of grating it, so there are spicy-sweet nubs in each bite.
—
Nina Moskowitz,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
10 Mar. 2026
Best Nylabone chew toys for puppies This three-pack includes one softer starter bone with nubs that are great for teething, one slightly tougher bone to move onto and one edible bone.
—
Bestreviews,
Mercury News,
4 Mar. 2026
Legs were wound down to nubs and heads inflated to egregious proportions.
—
Andrew Norman Wilson,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Feb. 2026
Fumbling with the plastic nubs can be painful and frustrating.
—
Zoe Gates,
Outside,
28 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nubs
Noun
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The president said that his administration would have to drain the pool and start over again as the new liner shed chunks of itself.
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Offerman, whose role provides a framework for the plot, spends chunks of rehearsal watching.
Noun
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Aniston, on the other hand, leaned into the shoe's casual roots, wearing hers with jeans and a tank top for a relaxed look that felt quintessentially summer.
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The dynamic Sun in your 9th House of Exploration quincunxes powerful Pluto in your 4th House of Home, so growth calls while roots demand attention.
Noun
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McCary also points out that shorter grass clippings are also less likely to form large or heavy clumps that might smother patches of lawn.
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Plant them in clumps behind or at the edges of a group of dahlias for a stunning early autumn display.
Noun
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Millennials have a soft spot in their hearts for babydoll tops.
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Our hearts go out to the people who were lost, their families, and everyone who has been impacted.
Noun
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The alpha heroes of 1980s romances—ranch owners, corporate raiders, anyone played by Michael Douglas—tended to be emotionally constipated anti-feminists intent on dominating the opposite sex by using testosterone and wads of cash.
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And Lamanna’s coauthor Jingmai O’Connor, vertebrate paleontologist and associate curator of fossil reptiles at Chicago’s Field Museum, also pointed out wads of bone found in the Changma Basin resemble pellets that owls regurgitate after feeding on prey.
Noun
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Narrow tree cores – the diameter of a pencil – have been pulled from some of the planet’s oldest trees.
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But Becerra remained the clear Democratic favorite in South County, in the urban cores of Escondido and San Marcos, as well as most of Vista and Oceanside.
Noun
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Bathroom sink drains can become clogged from hair, globs of toothpaste, and soapy residue.
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Bieber’s face artfully dotted with globs of lotion.
Noun
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Grill ears in their husks, then cut the kernels from the cob and add them to salads, salsas, grain bowls, or vegetable dishes.
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Queue our first montage of black-and-white movie clips (this time from The Hustler) that tip us off to the cinematic kernels from which Sugar learned to charm a civilian.
Cite this Entry
“Nubs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nubs. Accessed 3 Jul. 2026.
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