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

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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

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

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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
In August, a draft officer in Lviv in western Ukraine was stabbed to death, and the following month a recruitment centre in the city was damaged by an explosive. — The Week Uk, TheWeek, 10 Nov. 2026 Paula Larson, 60, smiles tearfully outside the Markham Courthouse after James Barbier was convicted of murder in the stabbing death of her mother in 1966. — Evy Lewis, Chicago Tribune, 9 Nov. 2026
Noun
The home in Calumet City where Karen Snider was found dead in 1966 with more than 120 stab wounds. — Evy Lewis, Chicago Tribune, 5 Nov. 2026 The track’s watery percussion and acute synth stabs carry all the implication of a dancefloor, even without a beat. — Shaad D’souza, Pitchfork, 4 Nov. 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
  • Accumulation of food debris observed on the piercing part of can opener.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 2 Nov. 2026
  • Bauer, who was working in uniform, was shot twice — with one of the bullets piercing his heart — during a robbery at Kislak National Bank, 13490 NW Seventh Ave.
    — Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of pierce
Noun
  • Its aluminum frame features front and rear suspension, while 26 × 4-inch puncture-resistant fat tires and Tektro four-piston hydraulic disc brakes add practical features for varied surfaces.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 4 Nov. 2026
  • Typically, a puncture can trigger a dangerous chain reaction in a lithium-ion battery, leading it to catch fire or explode.
    — Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of puncture
Noun
  • There’s no sense of effort or craft behind the music itself, and the duo’s latest attempts at iconoclasm feel sneeringly contemptuous.
    — Andrew Ryce, Pitchfork, 3 Nov. 2026
  • Harding made seven of his eight attempts to add 12 in the first half and excelled in his role as the team’s floor general as the Horned Frogs shot 53% from the field in the first half and knocked down six 3-pointers.
    — Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 Nov. 2026
Definition of attempt
Verb
  • The film’s pick-me jabs at humor are frankly, flatly unfunny and grating, twisting the film at times into a perverse, almost self-aware treatise on tweeness.
    — Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Rainbow continued to jab the secretary of health as his primary opposition throughout the parody of the Frank Loesser song.
    — Michael Saponara, Billboard, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of jab
Noun
  • The entire island took a serious one-two punch of a hurricane beating; residents managed without power for months, and without the livelihoods supported by the tourism industry for much longer.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 Nov. 2026
  • Williams, who missed three games with a foot injury and hasn’t returned to the starting lineup since, is trusted to guard on the ball and gives the second unit a scoring punch with his hot-shooting start.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 10 Nov. 2026
Definition of punch
Noun
  • Asked about also giving music a try, Lipa quickly shooed away the idea.
    — Sandra Salibian, Footwear News, 12 Nov. 2026
  • Butker has missed at least one field-goal attempt in four straight games and has made just two of his last six tries overall.
    — Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 12 Nov. 2026
Definition of try
Verb
  • Wild ponies pick their way through heather, granite tors loom out of the mist, and the ever-changing weather plays a starring role.
    — Megan Spurrell, Condé Nast Traveler, 13 Nov. 2026
  • So if the Dolphins and Jets finish with the same record, Miami should be fully prepared to watch the Jets pick before them.
    — Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 12 Nov. 2026
Definition of pick
Verb
  • Including one that saw its accelerator pedal getting stuck at max, probably the most dangerous one besides the wheel issue.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 6 Nov. 2026
  • There are relationships stuck in gray areas, career paths that feel like pyramid schemes, nights out that turn into existential crises, parents who just don’t understand.
    — Judy Berman, Time, 6 Nov. 2026
Definition of stick

Phrases Containing stab

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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 14 Nov. 2026.

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