STABBING Synonyms: 69 Similar and Opposite Words

stabbing 1 of 2

adjective

as in scratching

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Dissimilar Words

stabbing

2 of 2

verb

present participle of stab

as in jabbing

to penetrate or hold (something) with a pointed object stabbed the pesky leaf with the tines of the rake

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 stabbing

Verb

The boyfriend of an 18-year-old college soccer player in Washington County, Pennsylvania, is accused of fatally stabbing her, putting her body in the hatch of her vehicle and recruiting his mother for help disposing of the body, authorities said. — Michael Guise, CBS News, 21 Aug. 2026 Anthony was sentenced in June 2026 to 35 years in prison for fatally stabbing 17-year-old Austin Metcalf at a Frisco track meet in April 2025. — Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 20 Aug. 2026 Anthony, 19, was convicted and sentenced to 35 years in prison in June for fatally stabbing a fellow student at a high school track meet. — Meredith Deliso, ABC News, 19 Aug. 2026 McKINNEY, Texas — The judge in the case of a Texas teenager convicted of fatally stabbing a 17-year-old athlete at a high school track meet was ordered removed Wednesday, as the defendant seeks a new trial in a case that drew national attention. — Jamie Stengle, Los Angeles Times, 19 Aug. 2026 Jurors heard a harrowing voicemail left by Johnson begging one of her friends for help as Williams butchered her, stabbing her five times in the chest and four times in her back. — John Annese, New York Daily News, 12 Aug. 2026 Key Background Reiner was accused of fatally stabbing his parents at their home in December and was arrested that same day after fleeing. — Antonio Pequeño Iv, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2026 Nick Reiner pleaded not guilty Wednesday after a grand jury indicted him on murder charges in the stabbing deaths of his parents, actor-director Rob Reiner and photographer-producer Michele Singer Reiner. — Tracy Wright , Brittany Miller, FOXNews.com, 12 Aug. 2026 Nick Reiner has officially been indicted for the stabbing deaths of his parents Michele and Rob Reiner. — Liza Esquibias, USA Today, 12 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for stabbing

Adjective

Still, the glimpses of freedom Clark offers are all the more piercing for their rarity.

— Dan Piepenbring, Harpers Magazine, 21 Apr. 2026
Mars merging with Pluto can hit you with a piercing moment of honesty.

— USA TODAY, USA Today, 27 Jan. 2026

Definition of piercing

Adjective

But Sinner, with his lacerating groundstrokes and impeccable anticipation, has a returning edge over Zverev.

— Ava Wallace, New York Times, 12 July 2026
Mulligan delivers lacerating fragility, while Isaac turns Josh’s accommodating nature into a pathology, but both characters are littered with backstory details that Beef leaves hanging.

— Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 16 Apr. 2026

Definition of lacerating

Verb

The shrapnel tore through the metal surrounding the engine, shattering the window at row 11, leaving a dent in the plane near row 8 and puncturing the body below the wing, as well as gouging and denting the tail, the NTSB said.

— Alexandra Skores, CNN Money, 13 Aug. 2026
According to the company website, the glove is designed to disrupt sensory nerves without puncturing or burning the skin.

— Christopher Buchanan, Los Angeles Times, 13 Aug. 2026

Definition of puncturing

Adjective

The man’s skull had broken in 61 separate places, and another 60 jagged bits of bone were distributed across his ribs.

— ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 17 Aug. 2026
Arctic dreams Russian President Vladimir Putin has long envisioned the 3,500-mile route along Russia’s jagged Arctic coastline becoming a major artery for trade – and a driver of investment in Russian ports and oil and gas fields.

— Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 14 Aug. 2026

Definition of jagged

Verb

Antioch Full Gospel Baptist Church members who are facing off in court over control of the College Station congregation will meet Monday to determine the process for picking who gets to preach.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 15 Aug. 2026
Austria has entered the 2027 Oscar race, picking the Sandra Hüller period drama Rose to represent the country in the best international feature category.

— Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 14 Aug. 2026

Definition of picking

Verb

Small enough to be more cute than dangerous—but not worth sticking a finger in the water to test the theory.

— Heather Greenwood Davis, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 Aug. 2026
Florida Attorney General James Ulthmeier once again is grandstanding and sticking his nose into a national issue.

— Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 9 Aug. 2026

Definition of sticking

Cite this Entry

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“Stabbing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stabbing. Accessed 22 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of stabbing

adjective

verb

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