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
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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
Achal Singi, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025
Flower spikes open sequentially from the bottom to the top, with approximately twenty flowers per stem.
—Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 24 Aug. 2025
Tokischa’s hair spikes out like jagged rays of an eccentric sun, bleached in a shade of unapologetic, brassy yellow.
—Isabela Raygoza, Billboard, 15 Aug. 2025
Once the moon enters your sign on Tuesday, your energy spikes, giving you the urge to go, go, go.
—Dossé-Via Trenou, Refinery29, 10 Aug. 2025
Along the back seam, a row of curved metal spikes juts outward, giving the boot a clawed finish that exaggerates its shape with predatory edge.
—Maggie Clancy, Footwear News, 3 Sep. 2019
Noun
Adoption spikes, volume triples in weeks, but by the next quarter, most usage comes from a handful of customers with specific use cases.
—Achal Singi, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025
Flower spikes open sequentially from the bottom to the top, with approximately twenty flowers per stem.
—Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 24 Aug. 2025
Tokischa’s hair spikes out like jagged rays of an eccentric sun, bleached in a shade of unapologetic, brassy yellow.
—Isabela Raygoza, Billboard, 15 Aug. 2025
Once the moon enters your sign on Tuesday, your energy spikes, giving you the urge to go, go, go.
—Dossé-Via Trenou, Refinery29, 10 Aug. 2025
Along the back seam, a row of curved metal spikes juts outward, giving the boot a clawed finish that exaggerates its shape with predatory edge.
—Maggie Clancy, Footwear News, 3 Sep. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spikes
Verb
-
The person then stabs it with a long knife.—
Claudia Lauer,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Aug. 2025
-
Near the end of the video, the unseen cameraperson flips the notebook to a page containing a diagram of the church and stabs the diagram with a knife.—
Chad de Guzman,
Time,
28 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Lowering rates may cause inflation and stimulates the economy to hire more.—
Vipin Bharathan,
Forbes.com,
3 Sep. 2025
-
Fiber helps slow digestion and stimulates the production of satiety hormones.—
Jillian Kubala,
Health,
2 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The bodice mimics a button-down vest accented with bright gold buttons and flattering darts, while the skirt has subtle pleats at the top and flares into an A-line silhouette.—
Shea Simmons,
Southern Living,
24 Aug. 2025
-
The 55-year-old MC’s darts, storytelling and humor are still as sharp as ever.—
Angel Diaz,
Billboard,
22 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Upgrading your skills further adds new moves such as super jumps, rampaging charges, and powerful smash attacks.—
Griff Griffin,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Sep. 2025
-
Other cities in metro Phoenix are seeing similar jumps; Glendale, for example, saw a price increase of 46 cents in the past month.—
Reia Li,
AZCentral.com,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Recounting his visit with Shelton’s body after she’d been taken off of life support in From Bleak to Dark, Maron punctures the somber scene with a joke about taking a selfie.—
Mikey O'Connell,
HollywoodReporter,
13 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
The brothers missed additional extensions in December of that year and May 2025, per the lawsuit.—
Mathew Miranda,
Sacbee.com,
5 Sep. 2025
-
Guard members usually need to be on orders for more than 30 days to qualify for benefits, and multiple extensions to orders can sometimes cause interruptions.—
Ross O'Keefe,
The Washington Examiner,
4 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
And who the f--- pierces a 12 year old?—
Catherine Santino,
People.com,
2 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Just like tajín, chamoy makes a delicious accent for watermelon, jicama and cucumber spears.—
The New York Times News Service Syndicate,
Denver Post,
19 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Spikes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spikes. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.
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