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
Samantha Subin,
CNBC,
24 June 2026
The uniform mounded shape and purple hues of the flower spikes, along with the contrasting silvery foliage, add attractive structure and framing along the edges of paved walkways.
—
Gemma Johnstone,
The Spruce,
22 June 2026
The soft, willowy branches bear red flower spikes on the tips in warm months.
—
Steve Bender,
Southern Living,
21 June 2026
Evergreen//One Overdrive will be available in Q3 2006 and will provide a temporary cloud-like performance boost for on-premises storage to seamlessly absorb traffic spikes up to 25% above baseline without requiring permanent subscription upgrades.
—
Thomas Coughlin,
Forbes.com,
19 June 2026
The approach is intended to improve reliability, speed up processing, and help redistribute workloads when demand spikes.
—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
17 June 2026
This makes the foreground stars stand out even more, with beaming diffraction spikes emanating outward.
—
Chelsea Gohd,
Space.com,
15 June 2026
And summer is here, a time when violence spikes.
—
Megan Kang,
Chicago Tribune,
11 June 2026
Sensitivity spikes under the Pisces last quarter moon.
—
Usa Today,
USA Today,
8 June 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
At the same time, Qualcomm is looking to expand its position in the data center market as AI's skyrocketing growth spikes demand for infrastructure capable of processing large swaths of data.
—
Samantha Subin,
CNBC,
24 June 2026
The uniform mounded shape and purple hues of the flower spikes, along with the contrasting silvery foliage, add attractive structure and framing along the edges of paved walkways.
—
Gemma Johnstone,
The Spruce,
22 June 2026
The soft, willowy branches bear red flower spikes on the tips in warm months.
—
Steve Bender,
Southern Living,
21 June 2026
Evergreen//One Overdrive will be available in Q3 2006 and will provide a temporary cloud-like performance boost for on-premises storage to seamlessly absorb traffic spikes up to 25% above baseline without requiring permanent subscription upgrades.
—
Thomas Coughlin,
Forbes.com,
19 June 2026
The approach is intended to improve reliability, speed up processing, and help redistribute workloads when demand spikes.
—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
17 June 2026
This makes the foreground stars stand out even more, with beaming diffraction spikes emanating outward.
—
Chelsea Gohd,
Space.com,
15 June 2026
And summer is here, a time when violence spikes.
—
Megan Kang,
Chicago Tribune,
11 June 2026
Sensitivity spikes under the Pisces last quarter moon.
—
Usa Today,
USA Today,
8 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spikes
Noun
-
One of the victims was shot multiple times with blow darts and had to undergo surgery, according to police.
-
After briefly losing his pro status in 2024, van Dongen returned to Q-School and regained his pro card, despite battling hand issues that prevented him from being able to grip his darts.
Noun
-
Governments are built to deliberate, and deliberation takes time, while frontier AI runs on a different clock with new releases, benchmark jumps, and fresh agentic tooling arriving week after week.
-
Nine were experienced skydivers, and the other two were about go on tandem jumps with instructor, officials said.
Verb
-
His right-hand man, Bishop, pulls an Iago on him and stabs him in the back by emptying his bullets.
-
The shower curtain opens, revealing an old woman, who stabs and decapitates Mary.
Verb
-
Cryotherapy–brief exposure to very low temperatures–stimulates circulation and helps soothe sore muscles.
-
The mature, honest dialogue offers a sense of resolve, ushering you into a pleasant space that stimulates you to nurture yourself.
Noun
-
Mexico were being booed, booed furiously, but even that low rumble failed to drown out the whistles, hurled from the stands of the Estadio Akron with the ferocity and barb of spears.
-
Instead, use the heat to cook up sides like broccolini spears or baby potatoes that taste even better next to this steak.
Noun
-
Opponents argue agencies could avoid some of the service cuts officials have warned about by pausing capital improvement projects, including extensions.
-
Haitians were first granted TPS in 2010 after a catastrophic earthquake, with extensions given as gang violence displaced more than a million people, according to court documents.
Verb
-
If a foreign object punctures the tread or sidewall, your tire can deflate slowly or quickly, depending on the puncture.
-
In worst-case scenarios, the ice punctures the hull.
Noun
-
Bottom cleaners use lances to scrape biofoul off hulls.
-
Um dos lances mais bonitos da nossa história.
Cite this Entry
“Spikes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spikes. Accessed 28 Jun. 2026.
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