as in pierces
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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1
as in punctures
a mark or small hole made by a pointed instrument
the injection left a small stab on her upper arm
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of stabs
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
27 June 2026
On cue, a Frey leaps out and stabs Robb’s pregnant wife Talisa (Oona Chaplin) in the stomach, and a volley of crossbow arrows lay into Robb and his friends.
—
Ew Staff,
Entertainment Weekly,
25 June 2026
Mookie stabs a ball going back up the middle to save a pair of runs.
—
Dan Hayes,
New York Times,
25 June 2026
His right-hand man, Bishop, pulls an Iago on him and stabs him in the back by emptying his bullets.
—
Ethan Shanfeld,
Variety,
1 June 2026
The shower curtain opens, revealing an old woman, who stabs and decapitates Mary.
—
Therie Hendrey-Seabrook,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
18 Mar. 2026
But this person who was a friend, who owes her career to me, just stabs me in the back.
—
Maer Roshan,
HollywoodReporter,
10 Mar. 2026
Milo tries to be a hero, trying to use pepper spray on Morgan, but Morgan stabs and kills him.
—
Barry Levitt,
Time,
21 Jan. 2026
Percy, now carrying the Golden Fleece, runs toward the elevator, but Luke stabs him through the closing doors.
—
Monica Mercuri,
Forbes.com,
20 Jan. 2026
Christopher Borrelli,
Chicago Tribune,
25 June 2026
Of course, editing for stabs at human embryo enhancement is far more controversial and ethically fraught.
—
Paul Knoepfler,
STAT,
24 June 2026
However, desperate stabs at reinvention, from attempts to break into the prediction and cryptocurrency markets to a bizarre and unexpected merger with a fusion power company called TAE Technologies late last year, have done little to instill confidence.
—
Victor Tangermann,
Futurism,
24 June 2026
This question stabs at the heart of the culture war that is currently raging in America.
—
Dr. Matthew Warshauer,
Hartford Courant,
17 June 2026
The keyboard on the TravelMate P6 was perfectly satisfactory in my brief stabs at typing.
—
John Burek,
PC Magazine,
29 May 2026
That definitely took a lot of stabs.
—
Mya Abraham,
VIBE.com,
19 May 2026
Fans take their own stabs pro bono, posting to Reddit their predictions for the draft’s first round, or their bespoke guesses for all two hundred and fifty-seven picks.
—
Dan Greene,
New Yorker,
18 May 2026
His tight chord stabs, jazzy voicings and glinting tone are an indelible sonic signature, up there with Louis Armstrong’s trumpet blasts and Aretha Franklin’s rolling, tolling gospel piano.
—
New York Times,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
Kara talks her out of it, and when Ruthye walks away, Kara turns back to Krem and stabs him multiple times with a sword.
—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
27 June 2026
On cue, a Frey leaps out and stabs Robb’s pregnant wife Talisa (Oona Chaplin) in the stomach, and a volley of crossbow arrows lay into Robb and his friends.
—
Ew Staff,
Entertainment Weekly,
25 June 2026
Mookie stabs a ball going back up the middle to save a pair of runs.
—
Dan Hayes,
New York Times,
25 June 2026
His right-hand man, Bishop, pulls an Iago on him and stabs him in the back by emptying his bullets.
—
Ethan Shanfeld,
Variety,
1 June 2026
The shower curtain opens, revealing an old woman, who stabs and decapitates Mary.
—
Therie Hendrey-Seabrook,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
18 Mar. 2026
But this person who was a friend, who owes her career to me, just stabs me in the back.
—
Maer Roshan,
HollywoodReporter,
10 Mar. 2026
Milo tries to be a hero, trying to use pepper spray on Morgan, but Morgan stabs and kills him.
—
Barry Levitt,
Time,
21 Jan. 2026
Percy, now carrying the Golden Fleece, runs toward the elevator, but Luke stabs him through the closing doors.
—
Monica Mercuri,
Forbes.com,
20 Jan. 2026
Noun
As are chunks of the opening song; a line here, and a line there; an entirely new closing number has replaced the first stabs at a closing number; and every awkward silence is excised.
—
Christopher Borrelli,
Chicago Tribune,
25 June 2026
Of course, editing for stabs at human embryo enhancement is far more controversial and ethically fraught.
—
Paul Knoepfler,
STAT,
24 June 2026
However, desperate stabs at reinvention, from attempts to break into the prediction and cryptocurrency markets to a bizarre and unexpected merger with a fusion power company called TAE Technologies late last year, have done little to instill confidence.
—
Victor Tangermann,
Futurism,
24 June 2026
This question stabs at the heart of the culture war that is currently raging in America.
—
Dr. Matthew Warshauer,
Hartford Courant,
17 June 2026
The keyboard on the TravelMate P6 was perfectly satisfactory in my brief stabs at typing.
—
John Burek,
PC Magazine,
29 May 2026
That definitely took a lot of stabs.
—
Mya Abraham,
VIBE.com,
19 May 2026
Fans take their own stabs pro bono, posting to Reddit their predictions for the draft’s first round, or their bespoke guesses for all two hundred and fifty-seven picks.
—
Dan Greene,
New Yorker,
18 May 2026
His tight chord stabs, jazzy voicings and glinting tone are an indelible sonic signature, up there with Louis Armstrong’s trumpet blasts and Aretha Franklin’s rolling, tolling gospel piano.
—
New York Times,
28 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stabs
Verb
-
And who the f--- pierces a 12 year old?
-
Lockwood’s music instills joy in listening, and such revitalized desire leaves your body freshly tender, sensitive to whatever pierces the ear.
Noun
-
Sure enough, all tires were up and there were no obvious punctures or hissing sounds.
-
Note that good quality options are made of polyvinyl chloride, nylon or polyester fabric that resists tears and punctures.
Noun
-
As Kennedy and Bessette spend more time together and grow closer, her intimidation of the spotlight and fear of invasive paparazzi often create tension in their relationship, despite his attempts to calm the situation.
-
An early furor over accepting valuable gifts, including designer spectacles and Taylor Swift concert tickets, was followed by a series of policy U-turns, especially clumsy attempts to cut welfare spending that stirred anger in Labour ranks.
Verb
-
Continue reading … OUT OF LEFT FIELD — Tom Hanks jokingly jabs MS NOW while speaking with reporter live on the network.
-
But following elite competition is nearly impossible, with subtle flicks and jabs practically invisible to the naked eye—and competitors hidden behind masks.
Noun
-
Gunther took out Sami Zayn after a delay, but Sami stormed back into the match and hammered Gunther with punches.
-
Members of Rita's loyalty program who use the Rita’s Ice app will get double loyalty punches with a purchase of the treat.
Noun
-
Japan is advancing out of the group stage for the third consecutive World Cup and fifth time in seven tries since first reaching the round of 16 as co-hosts in 2002.
-
After stealing 16 bases in 19 tries in ‘24, Merrill was 1-for-3 in steal attempts in his first 44 games last season.
Verb
-
Here are our interns’ top fireworks picks for the 2026 season.
-
The team has yet to sign its three draft picks to their contracts.
Noun
-
Does this mean those pop-goes-punk comp albums are coming back?
-
Except then there’s the chance of being FUNNELED, placed on the rails and headed for a very specific destination, instead of the OPEN-WORLD anything-goes of traditional D&D.
Cite this Entry
“Stabs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stabs. Accessed 1 Jul. 2026.
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