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
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Recent Examples of stabs
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
And then there was Belew, enlisted to help bring Fripp’s new guitar sound to life, picking together in intricate rhythmic patterns, like the trick where someone lays their hand on the table and stabs a knife between their fingers at increasingly rapid speeds.
—Sam Sodomsky, Pitchfork, 11 Jan. 2026
The suspect pounces on Ennin while the victim is down and stabs him multiple times before running off.
—Emma Seiwell, New York Daily News, 6 Jan. 2026
After Fiona confesses to killing Willem, a raging Constance stabs Dahlia.
—Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 9 Dec. 2025
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
While a warm, four-bar bassline chugs alongside dubby stabs and bouncy swells, BEA1991’s vocals switch from nonchalant monotone to falsetto in a way that sounds like an involuntary yelp of joy.
—Reid Bg, Pitchfork, 28 Apr. 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
New Line has taken stabs at developing a sequel with Heisserer and Chris Borrelli penning scripts over the years.
—Borys Kit, HollywoodReporter, 27 Mar. 2026
Production quirks like volume and pitch changes, multiple beat switches, brash sonic redirections punctuated by everything from samples of glass shattering to synth stabs puncturing through sheaths of filters, make for a kind of chaotic symphony that feels deliriously of the moment.
—Jeff Ihaza, Rolling Stone, 25 Mar. 2026
Verb
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
And then there was Belew, enlisted to help bring Fripp’s new guitar sound to life, picking together in intricate rhythmic patterns, like the trick where someone lays their hand on the table and stabs a knife between their fingers at increasingly rapid speeds.
—Sam Sodomsky, Pitchfork, 11 Jan. 2026
The suspect pounces on Ennin while the victim is down and stabs him multiple times before running off.
—Emma Seiwell, New York Daily News, 6 Jan. 2026
After Fiona confesses to killing Willem, a raging Constance stabs Dahlia.
—Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 9 Dec. 2025
Noun
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
While a warm, four-bar bassline chugs alongside dubby stabs and bouncy swells, BEA1991’s vocals switch from nonchalant monotone to falsetto in a way that sounds like an involuntary yelp of joy.
—Reid Bg, Pitchfork, 28 Apr. 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
New Line has taken stabs at developing a sequel with Heisserer and Chris Borrelli penning scripts over the years.
—Borys Kit, HollywoodReporter, 27 Mar. 2026
Production quirks like volume and pitch changes, multiple beat switches, brash sonic redirections punctuated by everything from samples of glass shattering to synth stabs puncturing through sheaths of filters, make for a kind of chaotic symphony that feels deliriously of the moment.
—Jeff Ihaza, Rolling Stone, 25 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stabs
Verb
-
And who the f--- pierces a 12 year old?—
Desiree Anello,
PEOPLE,
24 May 2026
-
Lockwood’s music instills joy in listening, and such revitalized desire leaves your body freshly tender, sensitive to whatever pierces the ear.—
Joshua Minsoo Kim,
Pitchfork,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Note that good quality options are made of polyvinyl chloride, nylon or polyester fabric that resists tears and punctures.—
BestReviews,
Chicago Tribune,
19 June 2026
-
This design allows for enhanced thermal stability and resistance to physical damage such as punctures.—
Chris Young,
Interesting Engineering,
10 June 2026
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.—
Gerrad Hall,
Entertainment Weekly,
22 June 2026
-
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.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
22 June 2026
Verb
-
Continue reading … OUT OF LEFT FIELD — Tom Hanks jokingly jabs MS NOW while speaking with reporter live on the network.—
,
FOXNews.com,
19 June 2026
-
But following elite competition is nearly impossible, with subtle flicks and jabs practically invisible to the naked eye—and competitors hidden behind masks.—
Jacob Feldman,
Sportico.com,
25 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The Los Angeles singer-songwriter’s latest is a crisp and candid twee pop record with unexpected studio touches and gut punches.—
Jude Noel,
Pitchfork,
19 June 2026
-
No such punches could be seen on the video.—
Jason Meisner,
Chicago Tribune,
19 June 2026
Noun
-
Several tries later, and the app started tracking my brain waves.—
David Oliver,
USA Today,
17 June 2026
-
New Zealand hasn’t won a World Cup match in six tries, with three losses in 1982 and bizarrely draws in all three matches in 2010.—
Dan Santaromita,
New York Times,
15 June 2026
Verb
-
Washington, which picks first, Utah, Memphis and Chicago have the first shots at those potential franchise-defining players.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
21 June 2026
-
The Panthers were connected to a potential trade for Winnipeg Jets netminder and three-time Vezina Trophy winner Connor Hellebuyck, but that is likely not happening now after Florida sent its haul of draft picks to Ottawa.—
Jordan McPherson,
Miami Herald,
21 June 2026
Noun
-
Does this mean those pop-goes-punk comp albums are coming back?—
Bethy Squires,
Vulture,
13 Apr. 2026
-
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.—
Christopher Borrelli,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Stabs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stabs. Accessed 25 Jun. 2026.
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