1
as in punctures
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 pains
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pricks
Noun
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There were also punctures on the outer table of the skull, injuries to the teeth and tongue, and a hemorrhage into the chest cavities, according to the filing.—
Chris Spargo,
PEOPLE,
27 Jan. 2026 -
Its extended durability reflects lessons learned from Curiosity, its predecessor, whose wheels accumulated an increasing number of dings and punctures after encountering terrain sharper and more rugged than anticipated.—
Sharmila Kuthunur,
Space.com,
19 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
The Olympic organizers have gone to great and sometimes absurd pains to excise political messaging from the Games.—
Vinson Cunningham,
New Yorker,
21 Feb. 2026
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The duo went to great pains to source pieces from the brands and collections Bessette Kennedy wore, including Prada coats and shoes and her favored Levi denim cut.—
Rachel Tashjian,
CNN Money,
19 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The posts included more than a dozen images that showed bruises and other wounds on her body, holes in the wall and broken cabinets.—
Jane Harper,
Dallas Morning News,
18 Feb. 2026
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Pierce holes in the cake so that the Bourbon Glaze can soak in.—
Patricia S York,
Southern Living,
16 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
After ensuring the donor area is properly numbed, the medical team will remove individual hair grafts one by one with tiny punches.—
Ethan Stone,
USA Today,
20 Feb. 2026
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Through punches and pummeling, cheating and cursing, their bond remained (mostly) intact.—
Jillian Sederholm,
Entertainment Weekly,
20 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The album’s Bandcamp blurb shouts out Ghédalia Tarzatès, the late French composer who collaged his wails and lamentations in the endangered Ladino language to evoke pangs of existential angst.—
H.D. Angel,
Pitchfork,
6 Feb. 2026
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Everyone’s blood sugar levels sporadically spike, and that’s normal, but keeping it steady helps prevent energy crashes, hunger pangs, and mood swings, Dardarian says.—
Julia Ries Wexler,
Outside,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
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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
Noun
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Researchers suggested that future studies should include people who actually experience tingles to better understand how ASMR might help with mental health and relaxation.—
Lucy Notarantonio,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Nov. 2025
Verb
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The invasive beetle bores into wood and kills ash trees by eating tissues under the bark.—
Caitlin Looby,
jsonline.com,
23 Jan. 2026
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But the patient, grinding work of peace implementation typically bores him.—
Bobby Ghosh,
Time,
14 Oct. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Pricks.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pricks. Accessed 24 Feb. 2026.
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