as in stinging
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as in poking
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 prickling
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
Discomfort, such as a prickling sensation, at the site of the bite is also possible.
—Katia Hetter, CNN Money, 18 Sep. 2025
Whitefish salad prickling with chile and festooned with great tufts of cilantro.
—Bon Appétit Staff & Contributors, Bon Appetit Magazine, 20 Aug. 2025
Jakobus speaks in an Old World dialect, Pilsner, delivering brisk herbal aromas, hints of fresh levain bread and a prickling hop bitterness.
—Peter Rowe, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Aug. 2025
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
Discomfort, such as a prickling sensation, at the site of the bite is also possible.
—Katia Hetter, CNN Money, 18 Sep. 2025
Whitefish salad prickling with chile and festooned with great tufts of cilantro.
—Bon Appétit Staff & Contributors, Bon Appetit Magazine, 20 Aug. 2025
Jakobus speaks in an Old World dialect, Pilsner, delivering brisk herbal aromas, hints of fresh levain bread and a prickling hop bitterness.
—Peter Rowe, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for prickling
Adjective
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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
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The itchy rash is accompanied by intense stinging, pain, and burning.—
Fara Rosenzweig,
Outside,
24 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Tanner Jeannot created a turnover in the Vegas zone, poking it free from defenseman Ben Hutton, and Sean Kuraly pounced on the loose puck.—
Steve Conroy,
Boston Herald,
23 Jan. 2026
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The show could still include a government subplot, maybe some shadowy investigators poking their noses around, but as it was written, the military was just unforgivably lame.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
22 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Wharton dealt with a nagging hamstring injury, which limited him to nine appearances in the regular season.—
Mike Kaye
Updated January 26,
Charlotte Observer,
26 Jan. 2026
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But that’s if the 35-year-old Semien (who missed the last six weeks of last season with a fractured foot) and especially Robert, who has a history of nagging injuries and only once played more than 110 games in six years with the White Sox, stay healthy.—
Bill Madden,
New York Daily News,
24 Jan. 2026
Verb
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They have been placed one by one atop dressmaker pins, piercing the appendage all over.—
José Criales-Unzueta,
Vanity Fair,
26 Jan. 2026
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The iconic spire of the Sustainability & Innovation Centre at the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park in Dubai rises in the background, subtly piercing the mist.—
Cecilia Rodriguez,
Forbes.com,
26 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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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
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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
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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
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Frostbite symptoms depend on tissue injury depth and range from superficial injuries like numbness, tingling or waxy skin to clear blisters and pink tissue.—
Jesse Pines,
Forbes.com,
23 Jan. 2026
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That makes numbness different from tingling, a prickly sensation that indicates that a nerve is irritated.—
Angela Haupt,
Time,
15 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Trauma patients may require transfusions after everything from car crashes and falls to penetrating injuries, and Denver Health also treats many patients dealing with medical emergencies like gastrointestinal bleeds or those undergoing heart procedures.—
Tori Mason,
CBS News,
21 Jan. 2026
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And the fourth, which is the biggest challenge, is preventing lithium from penetrating through the solid material.—
Georgina Jedikovska,
Interesting Engineering,
20 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Prickling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prickling. Accessed 30 Jan. 2026.
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