as in biting
causing intense discomfort to one's skin
we had to press on, despite the smarting sleet that was blowing in our faces
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in aching
to feel or cause physical pain
the injection only smarted for a moment
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in ache
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of smarting
James Horncastle, New York Times, 30 Sep. 2025
Baltimore is smarting from that Monday home loss to Deroit -- but Crows would be 3-0 if not for a pair of Derrick Henry fumbles.
—Miami Herald, 25 Sep. 2025
The bill didn’t specifically target card rooms, but the tribes’ rival gambling establishments, still smarting from last year’s legislative defeat, worried their competitors would find a way to use the pending law against them.
—Calmatters, Oc Register, 24 Sep. 2025
Noun
Fiorentina’s ultras refused to go to the game in protest at ticket prices but showed up on the outskirts of Pisa, smarting for a fight anyway.
—James Horncastle, New York Times, 30 Sep. 2025
Baltimore is smarting from that Monday home loss to Deroit -- but Crows would be 3-0 if not for a pair of Derrick Henry fumbles.
—Miami Herald, 25 Sep. 2025
The bill didn’t specifically target card rooms, but the tribes’ rival gambling establishments, still smarting from last year’s legislative defeat, worried their competitors would find a way to use the pending law against them.
—Calmatters, Oc Register, 24 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smarting
Adjective
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The characters have this sharp, biting, British humor.—
Alex Ritman,
Variety,
28 Aug. 2025
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There’s Bud the biting cat, played by a feline named Tonic and who deserves a three-picture deal.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
28 Aug. 2025
Verb
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The team's other star tackle Taylor Decker, meanwhile, talked about the daily struggle of keeping his aching shoulder ready for gameday.—
Christian Romo,
Freep.com,
2 Oct. 2025
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In any case, these are Beckett’s drifters, no doubt, right down to the aching feet and bad breath.—
Greg Evans,
Deadline,
28 Sep. 2025
Noun
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That includes neck, back and shoulder aches, and fragmented sleep from switching positions more often throughout the night.—
Andee Tagle,
NPR,
2 Oct. 2025
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Beyond the Panthers’ internal pain, there’s also an ache that everyone around the organization feels for Barkov because of the Olympics.—
Pierre LeBrun,
New York Times,
29 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Seventeen years is pretty old for a bourbon, but in this case the whiskey is not overtaken by bitter tannic oak notes.—
Jonah Flicker,
Robb Report,
5 Oct. 2025
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But the most bitter had to be crooner Eddie Fisher, her fourth husband, who suffered the public humiliation of leaving his wife Debbie Reynolds for her (as well as their daughter Carrie), then getting dumped for Burton.—
Rob Sheffield,
Rolling Stone,
4 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The trial was designed to appeal to cash-conscious customers, who’ve been cutting eating out from their budgets, hurting restaurants’ profits.—
Jordan Valinsky,
CNN Money,
4 Oct. 2025
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But the sale also diminishes some hopes that Berkshire would buy Oxy in its entirety, potentially hurting the stock.—
Jordan Blum,
Fortune,
2 Oct. 2025
Noun
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The magnesium spray helps keep your Activator Gel moist during session while easing post-workout soreness by penetrating its nutrients deep into the skin.—
Francesca Krempa,
StyleCaster,
4 Oct. 2025
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Boone said soreness in Chisholm’s forearm after getting hit by a pitch Saturday didn’t contribute to his decision.—
Brendan Kuty,
New York Times,
1 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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To watch Lipe-Smith’s Caroline cuddle in bed watching TV on her iPad, or bopping around to JoJo Siwa, or pensively finishing a Popsicle while sitting beside her grandmother at a museum, is to have the sheer malevolence of our current administration and its adherents thrown into sharp relief.—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
1 Oct. 2025
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But Sport mode was always selected soon after, which, besides adding rev-match downshifts and turning off auto stop/start, adds sharp exhaust tones to its deep-bass-induction soundtrack.—
Peter Nelson,
Robb Report,
1 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Each pang of anxiety over my son’s disinterest is tempered by that memory.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
6 Oct. 2025
-
Sharp cracks of gunfire pierced the morning air, loud, jarring pangs that echoed off the concrete.—
Alaa Elassar,
CNN Money,
26 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Smarting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smarting. Accessed 9 Oct. 2025.
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