1
as in puncture
a mark or small hole made by a pointed instrument
the immunization shot left a prick on my arm that turned into a bruise
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in tingle
a sharp unpleasant sensation usually felt in some specific part of the body
she felt a sharp prick when the nurse gave her the shot
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of prick
William A. Haseltine, Forbes.com, 15 Apr. 2025
At Griffith's house on the day of his death, Kelly remembers chuckling that the police officers milling around kept getting pricked by his cactuses, knowing that Griffith would have appreciated that, given his formerly adversarial relationship with law enforcement.
—Newsweek Staff, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Apr. 2025
Ears pricked up when Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta delivered an unexpected compliment to the Chelsea side his team had just comfortably kept a clean sheet against.
—Jordan Campbell, The Athletic, 17 Mar. 2025
That was especially ripe to be pricked at a moment that is seeing the swearing-in of a new administration that has not exactly placed the protection of women’s rights or LGBTQ+ freedoms at the forefront of its agenda.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 23 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for prick
Noun
It is performed 24 to 48 hours after birth and involves pricking a baby’s heel to collect a blood sample, which is analyzed for metabolic, hormonal, and genetic disorders.
—William A. Haseltine, Forbes.com, 15 Apr. 2025
At Griffith's house on the day of his death, Kelly remembers chuckling that the police officers milling around kept getting pricked by his cactuses, knowing that Griffith would have appreciated that, given his formerly adversarial relationship with law enforcement.
—Newsweek Staff, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Apr. 2025
Ears pricked up when Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta delivered an unexpected compliment to the Chelsea side his team had just comfortably kept a clean sheet against.
—Jordan Campbell, The Athletic, 17 Mar. 2025
That was especially ripe to be pricked at a moment that is seeing the swearing-in of a new administration that has not exactly placed the protection of women’s rights or LGBTQ+ freedoms at the forefront of its agenda.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 23 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for prick
Recent Examples of Synonyms for prick
Noun
-
Agudelo was transferred to Elmhurst Hospital where she was treated for numerous skull fractures, a puncture wound to her temple and multiple abrasions, according to Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg.—
Emma Seiwell,
New York Daily News,
18 June 2025
-
The Zainichi documentary filmmaker Park Soo-nam interviewed Korean hibakusha who subsequently arrived in Japan to receive specialized care—for puncture wounds, missing eyes—forty years after the fact.—
E. Tammy Kim,
New Yorker,
16 June 2025
Noun
-
This refreshing serum gets its tingle from peppermint and tea tree, which works with caffeine to invigorate the scalp and maximize the absorption of the formula’s peptides.—
Emily Orofino,
Vogue,
14 Apr. 2025
-
The sight of smoke made my skin tingle and my arm hair stand on end, but not with dread.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 June 2025
Verb
-
Lawrence holed 114 feet of putts on the day, nearly 50 feet more than the field average.—
Justin Ray,
New York Times,
13 June 2025
-
After holing a 20-foot birdie putt on the sixth, Scheffler saved par after driving into the rough on No. 7 and hitting wedge to 3 feet.—
Doug Ferguson,
Los Angeles Times,
15 June 2025
Noun
-
Symptoms of West Nile include fever, headache, aches, soreness, joint pain, rash, gastrointestinal symptoms and decreased consciousness.—
David Matthews,
New York Daily News,
24 June 2025
-
Symptoms listed by the health agency still include sore throat, cough, fever, chills, shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, congestion, runny nose, loss of taste or smell, fatigue, muscle aches, body aches, headache, nausea, vomiting or diarrhea.—
Mary Kekatos,
ABC News,
19 June 2025
Verb
-
Signs of infestation include a decline in leaf growth, boring dust in the cracks of tree bark and oozing sap, according to University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources.—
Cameron Macdonald,
Mercury News,
20 June 2025
-
Burnett seems bored by the conventions of the revenge gangster plot, which took over Black film and music, in the nineties.—
Doreen St. Félix,
New Yorker,
14 June 2025
Noun
-
Other coaching clients describe getting pangs of guilt about adding complex assignments to direct reports’ already heavy workloads.—
Liz Guthridge,
Forbes.com,
24 June 2025
-
The immediacy of hunger pangs makes focusing on the future a challenge.—
Matthew Kelly,
Kansas City Star,
20 June 2025
Verb
-
One tower looks like a concrete satellite, another like a Dyson fan, and the tallest is prickled with reflective lights, like the ones that keep airplanes off oil rigs.—
Adriane Quinlan,
Curbed,
30 May 2025
-
Nottingham Forest’s more nervous fans might be feeling a familiar prickling sensation in the back of their minds.—
Nick Miller,
New York Times,
14 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
The class encompasses information about exercises to prepare the mother for birth, relaxation and coping techniques, pain control options, labor positioning, induction and C-section basics, recovery and welcoming baby.—
Orlando Sentinel Staff,
The Orlando Sentinel,
26 June 2025
-
Castor oil packs are a popular home remedy used to support pain relief, digestion, lymphatic flow, and skin health.—
Lindsay Curtis,
Health,
25 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Prick.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prick. Accessed 6 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share