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.
Related Words
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Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for prickles
Verb
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Is every head that pokes in to look at me actually Frank himself?—
Shane Kowalski,
Harpers Magazine,
30 Dec. 2025 -
The Aries moon pokes holes in old insecurities about competence and productivity.—
USA TODAY,
USA Today,
28 Dec. 2025
Noun
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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
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Nothing that pierces the skin should ever be used as leverage over a child's opportunity to education and to learn.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
12 Dec. 2025
-
Nicole Kidman's stare pierces the room.—
Jennifer Brett,
Nashville Tennessean,
16 Nov. 2025
Noun
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The House Oversight Committee’s first hearing on the Minnesota fraud scandal was complete with lawmakers pointing fingers and exchanging barbs in heated exchanges.—
Lauren Green,
The Washington Examiner,
8 Jan. 2026
-
The barbs have come from both sides of the political spectrum.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
8 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Negotiations have hit snags at several points in the weeks since.—
Kaia Hubbard,
CBS News,
8 Jan. 2026
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The dryer weakens the delicate threads and the motion can cause tears and snags.—
Cameron Beall,
Southern Living,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
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January 20 – February 18 When pride stings, compassion clears the air.—
Tarot.com,
Baltimore Sun,
12 Jan. 2026
-
Smith’s squad finished fourth in the Eastern Conference last season with 59 points before falling to New York City FC in the opening round, a defeat that still stings months later.—
Colin Cerniglia,
Charlotte Observer,
12 Jan. 2026
Verb
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It can be washed in a machine and has suction cups on the bottom — holes in the mat help drain excess water.—
BestReviews,
Mercury News,
24 Dec. 2025
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Bullet holes spider-webbed across the windows, and shattered glass still littered the floor.—
Benjamin Wallace-Wells,
New Yorker,
1 Dec. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Prickles.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prickles. Accessed 17 Jan. 2026.
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