as in pokes
to cause or experience an unpleasant feeling that is like the feeling of having many small, sharp points against your skin
The burrs were prickling my arm. The wool sweater prickled my skin.
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Recent Examples of prickles
Judith Shulevitz, The Atlantic, 17 Feb. 2026
Verb
An awareness of absent ancestors prickles through her writing, but at the same time, her fictional worlds feel solid and present.
—Judith Shulevitz, The Atlantic, 17 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for prickles
Verb
-
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander apparently isn’t amused by a new board game that pokes fun at the Oklahoma City Thunder star’s reputation for garnering foul calls at the hint of contact by an opposing player.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
29 May 2026
-
Kym is the family fuckup and a guilty party to its biggest tragedy but also constantly pokes the bear as its selfish verbal assassin.—
Chris Feil,
Vulture,
1 May 2026
Noun
-
The team identified a continuous midline feature that began as a fleshy crest along the neck and trunk and transitioned over the hips into a single row of spikes running down the tail — each spike positioned over a single vertebra and fitted to each other.—
Abhishek Bhardwaj,
Interesting Engineering,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
And who the f--- pierces a 12 year old?—
Desiree Anello,
PEOPLE,
24 May 2026
-
Lockwood’s music instills joy in listening, and such revitalized desire leaves your body freshly tender, sensitive to whatever pierces the ear.—
Joshua Minsoo Kim,
Pitchfork,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Pledges of a united front fade as the booze flows and the barbs get sharper and sharper.—
Greg Evans,
Deadline,
1 June 2026
-
Republicans and Democrats have traded barbs about who is responsible for creating circumstances that allow for fraud and who is doing more to fix it.—
Laura Geller,
CBS News,
27 May 2026
Noun
-
The gold plates effortlessly glided through both my real hair and the clip-ins, straightening them evenly without any snags.—
Essence Wiley,
InStyle,
24 May 2026
-
Jessica Sanders, the executive director of Sacramento Tree Foundation, said stumps could be used as habitats for snags, owls or other wildlife.—
Graham Womack,
Sacbee.com,
23 May 2026
Verb
-
The loss stings even more because Tiafoe is comfortable in these moments.—
Dan Zaksheske,
FOXNews.com,
1 June 2026
-
Monitor for irritation—discontinue any product that stings, burns or worsens symptoms.—
Lauryn Higgins,
Flow Space,
18 May 2026
Verb
-
Space the planting holes 18 to 24 inches apart and space rows 3 to 6 feet apart.—
Lauren Landers,
Better Homes & Gardens,
4 May 2026
-
The flight attendants then attempted to solve the problem by shoving napkins inside the ceiling holes.—
Colson Thayer,
PEOPLE,
2 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Prickles.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prickles. Accessed 6 Jun. 2026.
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