as in pains
a sharp unpleasant sensation usually felt in some specific part of the body
those hunger pangs that strike you in the middle of the afternoon
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Recent Examples of pangs
David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 12 May 2026
Help keep your hunger pangs at bay while on a road trip or at the office with this multi-pack of trail mixes.
—Michele Laufik, Martha Stewart, 11 May 2026
The book cover trend, imbued with nostalgia for childhood, promises fiction that grapples with the pangs of adulthood in an age of precarity.
—Maddie Connors, Los Angeles Times, 16 Mar. 2026
Minnesota fans may have had some mild pangs over parting with Buium or Rossi, but a mid- to late-20s pick for arguably the best defenseman on the planet?
—Sean McIndoe, New York Times, 11 Mar. 2026
The album’s Bandcamp blurb shouts out Ghédalia Tarzatès, the late French composer who collaged his wails and lamentations in the endangered Ladino language to evoke pangs of existential angst.
—H.d. Angel, Pitchfork, 6 Feb. 2026
Everyone’s blood sugar levels sporadically spike, and that’s normal, but keeping it steady helps prevent energy crashes, hunger pangs, and mood swings, Dardarian says.
—Julia Ries Wexler, Outside, 4 Feb. 2026
Packing your own treats not only saves money between meals, but also keeps mood-tanking hunger pangs at bay.
—Alesandra Dubin, Travel + Leisure, 20 Jan. 2026
And dehydration—which tends to shoot up during the winter thanks in part to the drier air—can also spur hunger pangs and cravings if your body misinterprets the signals.
—Caroline Tien, SELF, 15 Jan. 2026
Noun
Down to the volatile sound design and pangs of romantic yearning, to say nothing of the first-person cinematography lensed by Dhont regular Frank van den Eeden, this movie follows Pierre’s every move from the inside out.
—David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 12 May 2026
Help keep your hunger pangs at bay while on a road trip or at the office with this multi-pack of trail mixes.
—Michele Laufik, Martha Stewart, 11 May 2026
The book cover trend, imbued with nostalgia for childhood, promises fiction that grapples with the pangs of adulthood in an age of precarity.
—Maddie Connors, Los Angeles Times, 16 Mar. 2026
Minnesota fans may have had some mild pangs over parting with Buium or Rossi, but a mid- to late-20s pick for arguably the best defenseman on the planet?
—Sean McIndoe, New York Times, 11 Mar. 2026
The album’s Bandcamp blurb shouts out Ghédalia Tarzatès, the late French composer who collaged his wails and lamentations in the endangered Ladino language to evoke pangs of existential angst.
—H.d. Angel, Pitchfork, 6 Feb. 2026
Everyone’s blood sugar levels sporadically spike, and that’s normal, but keeping it steady helps prevent energy crashes, hunger pangs, and mood swings, Dardarian says.
—Julia Ries Wexler, Outside, 4 Feb. 2026
Packing your own treats not only saves money between meals, but also keeps mood-tanking hunger pangs at bay.
—Alesandra Dubin, Travel + Leisure, 20 Jan. 2026
And dehydration—which tends to shoot up during the winter thanks in part to the drier air—can also spur hunger pangs and cravings if your body misinterprets the signals.
—Caroline Tien, SELF, 15 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pangs
Noun
-
Common symptoms people experience are headaches, muscle aches, serious fevers, coughing, chest pains, shortness of breath and nausea, according to Kaiser Permanente.—
Noe Padilla,
USA Today,
7 May 2026
-
The pains and pleasures of family life are top of mind for her.—
Kate Erbland,
IndieWire,
7 May 2026
Noun
-
The man sought medical care twice — first with a fever, muscle aches, chills, headache and fatigue, then with vomiting and diarrhea.—
Aria Bendix,
NBC news,
12 May 2026
-
Symptoms — which can include fever, chills and muscle aches — usually show between one and eight weeks after exposure.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
12 May 2026
Verb
-
This isn’t a contract that hurts the Jets’ cap flexibility now or in the future since there is no money guaranteed beyond the second year.—
Zack Rosenblatt,
New York Times,
9 May 2026
-
But 24 goes too far, dilutes the field and hurts the regular season.—
Ian Miller OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
7 May 2026
Noun
-
Researchers suggested that future studies should include people who actually experience tingles to better understand how ASMR might help with mental health and relaxation.—
Lucy Notarantonio,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
The shower curtain opens, revealing an old woman, who stabs and decapitates Mary.—
Therie Hendrey-Seabrook,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
18 Mar. 2026
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But this person who was a friend, who owes her career to me, just stabs me in the back.—
Maer Roshan,
HollywoodReporter,
10 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pangs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pangs. Accessed 15 May. 2026.
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