1
as in stabbed
to penetrate or hold (something) with a pointed object
scorpions use their stinger-equipped tails to spike their prey
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in stimulated
to give life, vigor, or spirit to
he spiked what otherwise would have been a dry economic lecture with some jokes and anecdotes
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of spiked
Jonathan Lansner, Oc Register, 30 May 2026
Beth Copeland found a spiked bat and handed it to her husband, who added to Harwood’s misery.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 25 May 2026
Rita Omokha, Vanity Fair, 12 June 2026
This year, a Homeland Security shutdown created hours-long security lines; an elective war with Iran spiked the cost of fuel and ticket prices.
—Ian Bogost, The Atlantic, 12 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for spiked
Adjective
On a more personal level, the war boosted gas prices past $6 a gallon and spiked inflation worries.
—Jonathan Lansner, Oc Register, 30 May 2026
Beth Copeland found a spiked bat and handed it to her husband, who added to Harwood’s misery.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 25 May 2026
Verb
Sales spiked 33% the weekend the song dropped.
—Rita Omokha, Vanity Fair, 12 June 2026
This year, a Homeland Security shutdown created hours-long security lines; an elective war with Iran spiked the cost of fuel and ticket prices.
—Ian Bogost, The Atlantic, 12 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for spiked
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spiked
Adjective
-
Other diamonds have spikier settings resembling thorns.—
Samantha Conti,
Footwear News,
27 May 2026
-
This will be a bumper quarter for oil and gas shareholders, who have always learned to stick it out through the doldrums for spikey periods like this.—
Tim McDonnell,
semafor.com,
19 Mar. 2026
Verb
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In a 2021 court decision, an incarcerated man had tried to sue Bureau of Prisons officials after his cellmate stabbed him and left him blind in one eye.—
Christie Thompson,
NPR,
17 June 2026
-
Young climbed into a box, which Strange then stabbed repeatedly, prompting groans from the audience.—
Raechal Shewfelt,
Entertainment Weekly,
17 June 2026
Verb
-
So, that just keeps them stimulated and keeps their day really interesting.—
Monique John,
CBS News,
9 June 2026
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The revving of the AI hype cycle into the coming mega-IPOs will likely keep the bullish traders stimulated.—
Michael Santoli,
CNBC,
2 June 2026
Adjective
-
The shoe style includes a barbed wire design on the foxing, canvas uppers, cotton laces and Travis Barker logo detailing on the heel and tongue.—
Stephen Garner,
Footwear News,
11 June 2026
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After netting a Golden Globe nomination for her film debut in 1978's Corvette Summer, Annie Potts joined the cast of Ghostbusters, played the ultimate Cool Girl record store clerk in Pretty in Pink (1986), and essayed her most iconic role as barbed single-mother Mary Jo Shively on Designing Women.—
Declan Gallagher,
Entertainment Weekly,
8 June 2026
Verb
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But another pierced the car’s windshield, grazed the steering wheel and one of Fahd’s fingers before striking his son, Sam, in the head.—
Jeremy Diamond,
CNN Money,
13 June 2026
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The Remarkable Life and Times of George Forster A gunshot pierced the calm.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
11 June 2026
Verb
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But as El País reports, the basilica’s construction, which began 144 years ago, is famously unfinished, and for years controversy has stirred over an unrealized aspect of the design.—
Devorah Lauter,
ARTnews.com,
10 June 2026
-
The flames were visible to anyone driving or walking down Columbus Drive, and the sight in the public park stirred emotions and shocked many.—
Adam Harrington,
CBS News,
10 June 2026
Adjective
-
Irregular, edges catch oil differently, crisping into jagged, craggly bits while softer interior pockets hold onto dressing, broth, or sauce—the kind of varied texture that makes each bite its own.—
Anne Wolf,
Martha Stewart,
18 June 2026
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As pests crawl through it, its jagged edges scrape their exoskeletons, dehydrating and killing them.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
18 June 2026
Verb
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The helium-balloon hype of potentially going undefeated through the final three rounds of the playoffs has been punctured and now it’s gone for good.—
Hannah Keyser,
CNN Money,
9 June 2026
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Deputies said that the stab wound, which punctured the woman's lung, did not appear to be life-threatening.—
CBS Miami Team,
CBS News,
9 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Spiked.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spiked. Accessed 19 Jun. 2026.
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