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stab 1 of 2

verb

Definition of stabnext
as in to pierce
to penetrate or hold (something) with a pointed object stabbed the pesky leaf with the tines of the rake

Synonyms & Similar Words

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stab

2 of 2

noun

ˈstab How to pronounce stab (audio)
1
as in puncture
a mark or small hole made by a pointed instrument the injection left a small stab on her upper arm

Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in attempt
an effort to do or accomplish something everybody will get a stab at solving the problem

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of stab
Verb
Reiner is accused of stabbing his parents to death at their Los Angeles home in December. — Liza Esquibias, USA Today, 15 Sep. 2026 Rob and Michele Reiner were found fatally stabbed in their Brentwood home in December 2025. — Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 15 Sep. 2026
Noun
Booker died from multiple stab wounds and her unborn child died as a result of the attack, according to a Kane County coroner’s office autopsy. — Elgin Courier-News, Chicago Tribune, 10 Sep. 2026 That's been a big question in the field of economics, and now Anthropic — the company behind the popular Claude AI assistant — is taking a stab at helping people find their own answers. — Scott Horsley, NPR, 9 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for stab
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stab
  1. pierce
  2. puncture
  3. attempt
  4. jab
  5. punch
  6. try
  7. pick
  8. stick
Verb
  • Roma arrived at the World Trade Center while both towers stood defiantly tall, each pierced by Boeing 767s, bleeding with jet fuel and spewing smoke that promised to eventually bring them down.
    — Danya Gainor, CNN Money, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Christmas tree pins have a tiered configuration that compresses rather than pierces the ground (a win for modern synthetic or Mondo tracks).
    — Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of pierce
Noun
  • Most of the brand’s work business comes from safety footwear, protective to cap, puncture-resistant soles and other proprietary and branded technologies.
    — Vicki M. Young, Footwear News, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Officers looked at the driver and saw six puncture wounds – four on his back, one between his eyes and one on the left side of his neck.
    — Saleen Martin, USA Today, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of puncture
Noun
  • An aborted field goal attempt likely took some off the board for the Steelers.
    — Mike DeFabo, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026
  • This is now the third attempt to deface this sacred memorial and turn it into a vanity project for one man’s ego.
    — Ted Johnson, Deadline, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of attempt
Verb
  • Rather than immediately running toward his destination on the opposite side of the field, Jefferson jabs at the defender to create even more separation.
    — Alec Lewis, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
  • When handcuffed by investigators, Thakor denied jabbing his wife with a knife.
    — Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of jab
Noun
  • And this creamy dip comes together with cream, mayonnaise, chunks of crabmeat, and gets the perfect spicy punch from Old Bay seasoning.
    — Krissy Tiglias, Southern Living, 15 Sep. 2026
  • Two blue and yellow humanoid robots attempted to beat each other up with punches twice as hard as Mike Tyson’s.
    — Matthew Martin, semafor.com, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of punch
Noun
  • The Senate on its 10th try also approved a war powers resolution to end the conflict, but GOP senators quickly reversed course the next day after Trump berated them during a closed-door lunch.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 17 Sep. 2026
  • With runners at second and third, Rocchio, who has seven career walk-off plate appearances, hit a fly toward the left-field corner off Grant Taylor (7-3) that just eluded a diving try by outfielder Sam Antonacci.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of try
Verb
  • My mother picks me up off the floor, pulling me across the hall, into my bedroom, into bed.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 17 Sep. 2026
  • Cellphone camera footage broadcast by CBS Los Angeles shows the snake on a beach at night and someone trying to use what appears to be the base of a palm frond to pick it up and toss it back into the water.
    — Fedor Zarkhin, Los Angeles Times, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of pick
Verb
  • Jerry could easily be a caricature of a pretentious artiste stuck overseeing anonymous regional theater productions.
    — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 6 Sep. 2026
  • Stubborn and stuck in the past have been thrown around, but Swinney has started to change and engage the transfer portal, bringing in 15 transfers this offseason after adding four the year before and zero in 2024.
    — Seth Emerson, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2026
Definition of stick

Phrases Containing stab

Browse Nearby Words

squooshy
stab
stabbed
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Cite this Entry

“Stab.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stab. Accessed 18 Sep. 2026.

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