1
as in stabbing
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 stimulating
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 spiking
Health care, housing, child care costs are spiking.
—
Caroline Cummings, CBS News, 16 Apr. 2026
Housing and homelessness spending has also surged, according to the study, with emergency shelter costs approaching the $1 billion mark through spiking enrollment in the HomeBASE and similar programs.
—Tim Dunn, Boston Herald, 16 Apr. 2026
The war is spiking gas prices and global economists are warning of broad fallout.
—Zac Anderson, USA Today, 15 Apr. 2026
Days later, a series of airstrikes kicked off the Iran war, spiking mortgage rates.
—Jack Flemming, Los Angeles Times, 15 Apr. 2026
If interest rates were spiking, this market would be very different.
—Leonie Kidd, CNBC, 14 Apr. 2026
The labor market is tepid, inflation is higher than the Fed would like, and the price of oil is spiking because of a war in the Middle East.
—Kathryn Anne Edwards, Twin Cities, 14 Apr. 2026
Tariff uncertainty, the Iran conflict, spiking energy costs, and a stock market that has rattled retirement accounts are converging, hitting consumers from multiple directions.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 14 Apr. 2026
At Memorial Healthcare System in southern Broward County, trauma alerts from e-bike accidents are spiking, signaling more severe injuries.
—Cindy Krischer Goodman, Miami Herald, 8 Apr. 2026
Caroline Cummings, CBS News, 16 Apr. 2026
Housing and homelessness spending has also surged, according to the study, with emergency shelter costs approaching the $1 billion mark through spiking enrollment in the HomeBASE and similar programs.
—Tim Dunn, Boston Herald, 16 Apr. 2026
The war is spiking gas prices and global economists are warning of broad fallout.
—Zac Anderson, USA Today, 15 Apr. 2026
Days later, a series of airstrikes kicked off the Iran war, spiking mortgage rates.
—Jack Flemming, Los Angeles Times, 15 Apr. 2026
If interest rates were spiking, this market would be very different.
—Leonie Kidd, CNBC, 14 Apr. 2026
The labor market is tepid, inflation is higher than the Fed would like, and the price of oil is spiking because of a war in the Middle East.
—Kathryn Anne Edwards, Twin Cities, 14 Apr. 2026
Tariff uncertainty, the Iran conflict, spiking energy costs, and a stock market that has rattled retirement accounts are converging, hitting consumers from multiple directions.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 14 Apr. 2026
At Memorial Healthcare System in southern Broward County, trauma alerts from e-bike accidents are spiking, signaling more severe injuries.
—Cindy Krischer Goodman, Miami Herald, 8 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spiking
Verb
-
Police were called to the area by witnesses who reported a woman was actively stabbing a man.—
Caleb Lunetta,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
16 Apr. 2026
-
Delisle pleaded guilty to stabbing his father in April 2025 and lighting the family’s mobile home on fire in the 1000 block of 3rd Street North, according to a judgment of conviction.—
Sally Krutzig,
Idaho Statesman,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The brand promises results in four weeks—we’re talking reduced fine lines, dullness, and dark circles, along with improved elasticity, thanks to collagen-stimulating regrowth that encourages a more youthful appearance.—
Lauren Pardee,
InStyle,
13 Apr. 2026
-
In mice, researchers have already been stimulating mice with ultrasound.—
Paul Sisson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
13 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Israel has been hunting him and his comrades, picking them off by airstrike and drone, in surprise attacks that often kill civilians alongside them.—
Lauren Frayer,
NPR,
12 Apr. 2026
-
For a bouquet of two dozen daffodils each week of daffodil season, Shickasheen offers picking passes at $35 per person.—
Catherine Messier,
The Providence Journal,
11 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Then, in the army, Jung Kook worked in the kitchen, stirring giant pots, even on weekends — feeding the troops right, seven days a week.—
Brian Hiatt,
Rolling Stone,
13 Apr. 2026
-
Cook stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens, 2 to 3 minutes.—
Carole Kotkin,
Miami Herald,
13 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The tactic has become more popular with smugglers as police on the beaches try to thwart crossings by puncturing the rafts that groups of migrants have to inflate and carry to the water.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
11 Apr. 2026
-
Iranian strikes on the city now appear to be puncturing the cycle, putting pressure on residential and commercial property prices — and on the people whose jobs depend on them.—
Manal Albarakati,
semafor.com,
7 Apr. 2026
Verb
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For a piece in this week’s issue, Dhruv Khullar, a practicing physician and a contributing writer, investigated this growing industry, speaking to the doctors who are tinkering with compounds and the users gamely jabbing themselves in a quest for self-optimization.—
Hannah Jocelyn,
New Yorker,
8 Apr. 2026
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Where their debut roars, jabbing with hooks, Two Wheels Move the Soul instead inverts the noise until the sound becomes pillowy and comforting.—
Nina Corcoran,
Pitchfork,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Darker than silver but not quite as piercing as solid black, black cat-eye tips are edgy and mesmerizing.—
Ariel Wodarcyk,
InStyle,
10 Apr. 2026
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Here is an example of a piercing forward run and crisp finish down that side from that fateful afternoon against Granada, not shying away from putting his weaker foot through the ball with the angle closing down.—
Thom Harris,
New York Times,
7 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Oil the pan Use a neutral oil (such as vegetable, canola, or grapeseed oil) to prevent sticking and encourage browning.—
Li Goldstein,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
14 Apr. 2026
-
Try sticking your head to that.—
Anthony Lane,
New Yorker,
13 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Spiking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spiking. Accessed 19 Apr. 2026.
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