as in sedatives
something (as a drug) that relieves pain
after her oral surgery, she was given a prescription for a mild painkiller
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Recent Examples of painkillers
Then came recurrent ankle injuries that required him to compete with painkillers to get back into form for these Games.
—
ABC News, 18 Feb. 2026
The presence of a caring friend or relative triggers the release of feel-good endorphins, neurotransmitters in the brain that act as natural painkillers and mood boosters.
—Kyra Dahring, CNN Money, 14 Feb. 2026
In 1960, physicians could do little for a heart-attack patient beyond prescribing bed rest and painkillers; by 2019, with new surgical procedures and numerous costly drugs available, Americans were spending $265 billion treating cardiovascular disease.
—Chris Pope, Washington Post, 10 Feb. 2026
Fischnaller immediately flew home to upstate New York, hopped up on painkillers and muscle relaxers that did little to quell her discomfort.
—Lindsay Schnell, New York Times, 9 Feb. 2026
Critical medical supplies such as painkillers, gauze, and antibiotics are also unavailable.
—Philip Wang, Time, 9 Feb. 2026
When his mother, Dianne, who is a nurse, warned him about the dangers of becoming addicted to painkillers, Strong quickly stopped taking them and stuck with Tylenol.
—Steve Millar, Chicago Tribune, 5 Feb. 2026
Julien Chorier, the sports director for the UTMB World Series and an accomplished trail runner himself, admitted race officials are concerned about runners using certain painkillers during races, but remaining consistent with WADA is more important for now.
—Dan England, Outside, 5 Feb. 2026
The same thing applies to other types of pharmaceuticals such as antidepressants, painkillers and blood-pressure-lowering drugs.
—New Atlas, 21 Jan. 2026
ABC News, 18 Feb. 2026
The presence of a caring friend or relative triggers the release of feel-good endorphins, neurotransmitters in the brain that act as natural painkillers and mood boosters.
—Kyra Dahring, CNN Money, 14 Feb. 2026
In 1960, physicians could do little for a heart-attack patient beyond prescribing bed rest and painkillers; by 2019, with new surgical procedures and numerous costly drugs available, Americans were spending $265 billion treating cardiovascular disease.
—Chris Pope, Washington Post, 10 Feb. 2026
Fischnaller immediately flew home to upstate New York, hopped up on painkillers and muscle relaxers that did little to quell her discomfort.
—Lindsay Schnell, New York Times, 9 Feb. 2026
Critical medical supplies such as painkillers, gauze, and antibiotics are also unavailable.
—Philip Wang, Time, 9 Feb. 2026
When his mother, Dianne, who is a nurse, warned him about the dangers of becoming addicted to painkillers, Strong quickly stopped taking them and stuck with Tylenol.
—Steve Millar, Chicago Tribune, 5 Feb. 2026
Julien Chorier, the sports director for the UTMB World Series and an accomplished trail runner himself, admitted race officials are concerned about runners using certain painkillers during races, but remaining consistent with WADA is more important for now.
—Dan England, Outside, 5 Feb. 2026
The same thing applies to other types of pharmaceuticals such as antidepressants, painkillers and blood-pressure-lowering drugs.
—New Atlas, 21 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for painkillers
analgesics
Noun
-
The draft guidance could shape clinical trial designs, labeling considerations and FDA review expectations for future prescription non-opioid analgesics seeking approval for chronic pain indications, potentially influencing investment and development priorities in the pharmaceutical industry.—
Hollie Silverman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Sep. 2025
-
The drug breaks ground as the first and only in a category of non-opioid analgesics to treat fibromyalgia.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
17 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Painkillers.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/painkillers. Accessed 27 Feb. 2026.
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