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
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
The moment is fleeting, though, interrupted by the sharp pangs of rapidly escalating synthesizers that create a sudden sense of claustrophobic exhilaration.
—Literary Hub, 14 Jan. 2026
How Popcorn Affects Your Stomach When your stomach starts growling between meals, popcorn might be just the thing to alleviate those annoying hunger pangs.
—Ann Pietrangelo, Verywell Health, 22 Dec. 2025
Noun
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
The moment is fleeting, though, interrupted by the sharp pangs of rapidly escalating synthesizers that create a sudden sense of claustrophobic exhilaration.
—Literary Hub, 14 Jan. 2026
How Popcorn Affects Your Stomach When your stomach starts growling between meals, popcorn might be just the thing to alleviate those annoying hunger pangs.
—Ann Pietrangelo, Verywell Health, 22 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pangs
Noun
-
Gibson cited increasingly severe stomach pains and diarrhea across several days as her family's symptoms.—
Chiara Kim,
PEOPLE,
15 Apr. 2026
-
Branch Rickey and Leo Durocher, the Dodgers’ general manager and manager, took great pains to protect Robinson, but protecting him from all of the vitriol was an impossibility.—
Abbey Mastracco,
New York Daily News,
15 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Each tablet contains 200 milligrams of ibuprofen and is one of the best over-the-counter pain relievers for those suffering from conditions such as muscular aches, minor arthritis pain, toothache, backache, menstrual cramps or minor aches.—
BestReviews,
Chicago Tribune,
16 Apr. 2026
-
Watch for a bull’s-eye rash or flu-like symptoms including fever, body aches and nausea in the days and weeks following a bite.—
Allison Palmer,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
14 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Accountability makes everything easier, and a little friendly competition never hurts.—
Cheryl Russell,
Oc Register,
19 Apr. 2026
-
Those who can't prebook face higher prices, which hurts their budgets, and may force readjustments in production and types of crops.—
George Petras,
USA Today,
19 Apr. 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
-
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 22 Apr. 2026.
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