pricking 1 of 2

Definition of prickingnext

pricking

2 of 2

verb

present participle of prick

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for pricking
Adjective
  • Those, and other comments, had surprised some onlookers, and led to author Arundhati Roy cancelling her visit to the festival and penning a stinging rebuke.
    Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 14 Feb. 2026
  • After a stinging loss at Wichita State over the weekend, Memphis basketball coach Penny Hardaway is still figuring out why the Tigers aren't playing their best.
    Corinne S Kennedy, Memphis Commercial Appeal, 25 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • People with peripheral neuropathy may experience pins and needles sensations, such as tingling and prickling, in their extremities.
    Laura Dorwart, Health, 22 Dec. 2025
  • It is spread to people and pets through the bites and scratches of an infected animal, and first symptoms may include flu, weakness, discomfort, fever, headache, as well as a prickling sensation at the site of the wound, before turning into more severe disease after around two weeks.
    Jasmine Laws, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • In tests using mice, after surgical damage to the liver, AGCL was able to perform significantly better than other current anti-bleeding agents, with normal liver function returning just two weeks after its application.
    New Atlas, New Atlas, 21 Jan. 2026
  • These injuries resulted in 684 days lost per 1,000 training hours during menstruation, compared to 206 days lost during non-bleeding days.
    Ciara Lucas, SELF, 16 Dec. 2025
Adjective
  • Her parents, once her safe harbor, are now shaped by mistrust, and Trine wrestles with guilt and a nagging doubt about her own sanity.
    Matthew Carey, Deadline, 17 Feb. 2026
  • There are niggling, nagging, familiar concerns, like not taking chances, like being hit on the counter, but our section erupts when Willock scores and then erupts again when his goal is ruled out.
    George Caulkin, New York Times, 11 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • Prince Edward and the former Prince Andrew smiled for the camera while poking their heads through the stone barriers on the grounds outside Buckingham Palace.
    Lori A Bashian, FOXNews.com, 20 Feb. 2026
  • Social media users have also been poking fun at how popular the jackets are among the Asian diaspora.
    Stephy Chung, CNN Money, 17 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • Testing is also challenging, as finding a leak requires puncturing the spinal canal, which can create new leaks.
    Tereza Shkurtaj, PEOPLE, 17 Jan. 2026
  • The past two months of mostly sideways churn within 3% of record highs for the S & P 500 has helped to rebalance the market, puncturing the aggressive sense of destiny around many AI plays, subduing some speculative misbehavior and allowing valuations to settle.
    Michael Santoli, CNBC, 20 Dec. 2025
Adjective
  • Please tell me the sequel could answer the most burning question of the ’00s: How could Austin not recognize Sam in that mask?
    Stephanie McNeal, Glamour, 13 Aug. 2025
  • Cooper, 30, asked Hargitay one more burning question about the actors' on-screen alter egos: will Olivia and Elliot ever end up together?
    Victoria Edel, People.com, 26 June 2025
Verb
  • This weekend’s sunny and warm weather has many Houstonians itching to get outside after a stretch of cool weeks.
    Newsroom Meteorologist, Houston Chronicle, 7 Feb. 2026
  • Hiking enthusiasts itching to get out for a walk in the woods have a new outdoor space to explore in Orange County.
    Patrick Connolly, The Orlando Sentinel, 6 Feb. 2026
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.

Cite this Entry

“Pricking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pricking. Accessed 21 Feb. 2026.

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