1
as in stabs
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 stimulates
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
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Recent Examples of spikes
Abhishek Bhardwaj, Interesting Engineering, 24 Oct. 2025
Usa Today, USA Today, 8 June 2026
Even the indefatigable Thunder will face uncomfortable decisions this summer (and next) as its payroll spikes into the second apron.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 7 June 2026
Ethan spikes Giles’ drink and Giles wakes up the next morning as a giant Fyorl demon—a handy metaphor for his midlife crisis, per producer Douglas Petrie.
—ArsTechnica, 7 June 2026
If geomagnetic activity spikes again, the aurora zone could stretch farther south into places like Oregon, Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Vermont and New Hampshire.
—Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 5 June 2026
Eating pomegranate seeds, which contain fiber, helps prevent blood sugar spikes more effectively than drinking the juice.
—Stephanie Brown, Verywell Health, 2 June 2026
After the initial flush of early summer flowers fades, cut bloom spikes back to the foliage to encourage rebloom.
—Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 30 May 2026
There’s also a 3,600W surge rating to deal with the compressor startup spikes that can trip up smaller battery systems.
—Paul Lamkin, Forbes.com, 26 May 2026
The officers will be deployed in 72 violence zones across all five boroughs, and hit the streets when violence historically spikes - during the evening and early morning hours.
—Jesse Zanger, CBS News, 20 May 2026
Noun
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
Sensitivity spikes under the Pisces last quarter moon.
—Usa Today, USA Today, 8 June 2026
Even the indefatigable Thunder will face uncomfortable decisions this summer (and next) as its payroll spikes into the second apron.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 7 June 2026
Ethan spikes Giles’ drink and Giles wakes up the next morning as a giant Fyorl demon—a handy metaphor for his midlife crisis, per producer Douglas Petrie.
—ArsTechnica, 7 June 2026
If geomagnetic activity spikes again, the aurora zone could stretch farther south into places like Oregon, Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Vermont and New Hampshire.
—Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 5 June 2026
Eating pomegranate seeds, which contain fiber, helps prevent blood sugar spikes more effectively than drinking the juice.
—Stephanie Brown, Verywell Health, 2 June 2026
After the initial flush of early summer flowers fades, cut bloom spikes back to the foliage to encourage rebloom.
—Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 30 May 2026
There’s also a 3,600W surge rating to deal with the compressor startup spikes that can trip up smaller battery systems.
—Paul Lamkin, Forbes.com, 26 May 2026
The officers will be deployed in 72 violence zones across all five boroughs, and hit the streets when violence historically spikes - during the evening and early morning hours.
—Jesse Zanger, CBS News, 20 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spikes
Noun
-
Luke Littler, the 19-year-old darts player from England, has shaken the foundation of his sport, shattering records and exploding to global fame.—
Time,
Time,
9 June 2026
-
One case in another sport, darts, demonstrates the cause and effect.—
Jacob Whitehead,
New York Times,
4 June 2026
Noun
-
Hernandez talked and laughed with female counterparts in between jumps.—
Jackson Thompson OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
1 June 2026
-
All eyes moved to the final event of the meet, the triple jump, where Cromwell sophomore Luke Haslam sat in first place with three jumps left.—
Lori Riley,
Hartford Courant,
1 June 2026
Verb
-
His right-hand man, Bishop, pulls an Iago on him and stabs him in the back by emptying his bullets.—
Ethan Shanfeld,
Variety,
1 June 2026
-
The shower curtain opens, revealing an old woman, who stabs and decapitates Mary.—
Therie Hendrey-Seabrook,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
18 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Grounding might include a Ku Nye full-body massage inspired by ancient Tibetan healing traditions that stimulates the meridian system, acupressure, kneading, deep-tissue techniques and a Tibetan head massage.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
3 June 2026
-
Bloodwork found that Fasone was experiencing elevated levels of prolactin, the hormone secreted by the pituitary gland that stimulates lactation and influences fertility.—
Adam Harrington,
CBS News,
1 June 2026
Noun
-
Young boys, some no older than five or six, showed off their marksmanship by throwing reeds like spears with perfect accuracy, and the men demonstrated their precision with bow and arrow.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
11 June 2026
-
Asparagus is a perennial vegetable that takes a few years to produce edible spears.—
Lauren Landers,
Better Homes & Gardens,
30 May 2026
Noun
-
Morgan and Tilis have other potential extensions to sort out over the next few months, as cornerback Mike Jackson and quarterback Bryce Young are among potential candidates for new deals.—
Mike Kaye,
Charlotte Observer,
12 June 2026
-
The first attempts to compel vaccination in the 1850s appeared to many to be arbitrary and unneeded extensions of state power at a time when the effectiveness of the shots was still very much in dispute.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
11 June 2026
Verb
-
If a foreign object punctures the tread or sidewall, your tire can deflate slowly or quickly, depending on the puncture.—
Jason Fogelson,
AJC.com,
29 May 2026
-
In worst-case scenarios, the ice punctures the hull.—
Deena Theresa,
Interesting Engineering,
28 May 2026
Noun
-
Warhorses charge, lances down, crashing through the tilts as lances break on shields and men topple from their steeds.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
26 Jan. 2026
-
Three or four decades ago, the newspaperman was appealingly raffish—at once a bum who drank too much and a knight-errant who charged unafraid at social injustice, succored the weak, and crossed lances with the powerful and arrogant.—
David Wingrave,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Spikes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spikes. Accessed 13 Jun. 2026.
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