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
Keith Sutton, Outdoor Life, 18 June 2026
Cristina and her husband, Gary, have been cooking Argentinian cuisine there for 25 years, easing hunger pangs of celebrities, local legends and average consumers alike.
—Jenna Thompson
june 16, Kansas City Star, 16 June 2026
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
Noun
To compensate for winter’s period of lean rations, however, flatties gorge in spring to ease their wake-up hunger pangs and again in fall to gain weight like bears preparing for hibernation.
—Keith Sutton, Outdoor Life, 18 June 2026
Cristina and her husband, Gary, have been cooking Argentinian cuisine there for 25 years, easing hunger pangs of celebrities, local legends and average consumers alike.
—Jenna Thompson
june 16, Kansas City Star, 16 June 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pangs
Noun
-
The colors, pains, pleasures, smells, tastes and sounds, the what-it’s-like of being conscious, are not private inner bits and blobs that philosophers call qualia, floating in a theatre of the mind.—
Andréa Morris,
Forbes.com,
18 June 2026
-
Unfortunately, days before the ceremony, Nelson began experiencing chest pains while visiting with a friend.—
Angel Saunders,
PEOPLE,
18 June 2026
Verb
-
With the Sox contending for a postseason spot, every day is now important, and the losing hurts more.—
Paul Sullivan,
Chicago Tribune,
20 June 2026
-
Keeping it becomes the thing that hurts us all.—
Emily St. Martin,
Los Angeles Times,
19 June 2026
Noun
-
This compact 160-piece kit covers cuts, burns, and aches, and tucks neatly into a suitcase or day bag.—
Robin Raven,
Travel + Leisure,
22 June 2026
-
Some women suffered through menopause symptoms such as joint aches and brain fog for years and met with various doctors before reaching out to Elizabeth Lapeyre's New Orleans medical office.—
Laura Trujillo,
USA Today,
22 June 2026
Verb
-
His right-hand man, Bishop, pulls an Iago on him and stabs him in the back by emptying his bullets.—
Ethan Shanfeld,
Variety,
1 June 2026
-
The shower curtain opens, revealing an old woman, who stabs and decapitates Mary.—
Therie Hendrey-Seabrook,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
18 Mar. 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
Cite this Entry
“Pangs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pangs. Accessed 25 Jun. 2026.
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