as in countryside
the open rural area outside of big towns and cities
grew up in the sticks and is used to traveling miles just to get a loaf of bread
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
2
as in puts
to arrange something in a certain spot or position
you can stick that box in the corner until I figure out where to put everything
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in stabs
to penetrate or hold (something) with a pointed object
could hardly feel the needle when the nurse stuck my arm with it
Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in plucks
to rob by the use of trickery or threats
she got stuck by an unscrupulous seller while using the online auction site
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of sticks
Pubsubhub User, Baltimore Sun, 4 June 2026
Selfie sticks For the safety and comfort of all guests, guests may only bring selfie sticks, handheld extension poles and tripods no longer than 18 inches on board, for use in most areas.
—Eve Chen, USA Today, 3 June 2026
The step-by-step approach matters because going cold turkey rarely sticks.
—Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 May 2026
The Antarctic Peninsula, a spindly chain of icy mountains which sticks off the west side of the continent like a thumb pointing toward South America, is one of the fastest warming places in the Southern Hemisphere.
—Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 8 May 2026
Each sticks their face in the fan at an admirable level, but separation ability will always be their calling card.
—Jimmy Durkin, New York Times, 8 May 2026
The film builds with confidence, earns its twist, and sticks the landing in a way that feels both inevitable and wholly unexpected.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 6 May 2026
Lohan's day of filming included a version that sticks closely to the original blueprint.
—Daisy Maldonado, InStyle, 3 Apr. 2026
Once the media sticks its oar in, the real reason for the robbery emerges by degrees.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 31 Mar. 2026
Verb
Your practical eye spots tiny gaps, while a kind tone keeps people open to change so the fix actually sticks today.
—Pubsubhub User, Baltimore Sun, 4 June 2026
Selfie sticks For the safety and comfort of all guests, guests may only bring selfie sticks, handheld extension poles and tripods no longer than 18 inches on board, for use in most areas.
—Eve Chen, USA Today, 3 June 2026
The step-by-step approach matters because going cold turkey rarely sticks.
—Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 May 2026
The Antarctic Peninsula, a spindly chain of icy mountains which sticks off the west side of the continent like a thumb pointing toward South America, is one of the fastest warming places in the Southern Hemisphere.
—Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 8 May 2026
Each sticks their face in the fan at an admirable level, but separation ability will always be their calling card.
—Jimmy Durkin, New York Times, 8 May 2026
The film builds with confidence, earns its twist, and sticks the landing in a way that feels both inevitable and wholly unexpected.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 6 May 2026
Lohan's day of filming included a version that sticks closely to the original blueprint.
—Daisy Maldonado, InStyle, 3 Apr. 2026
Once the media sticks its oar in, the real reason for the robbery emerges by degrees.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 31 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sticks
Verb
-
This helps ensure the new grout adheres properly.—
Jamie Cuccinelli,
Martha Stewart,
10 June 2026
-
Though Ecco adheres by the principle that form follows function, its walking shoes are still mighty stylish.—
Kyra Surgent,
InStyle,
6 June 2026
Verb
-
There are other awards given to restaurants and the hospitality industry but the James Beard Foundation, which is celebrating its 40th anniversary, puts a premium on discovery and on American cuisine.—
Jeanne Bonner,
CNN Money,
16 June 2026
-
That’s when competition will heat up for roster spots, as first-year coach John Harbaugh puts his imprint on the roster.—
Dan Duggan,
New York Times,
16 June 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
Verb
-
His torso and thighs grow eye-poppingly muscular beneath their skimpy fur-and-leather togs—a development that does not go unnoticed by a warrior named Red Hair, who plucks the young hunk from his post and tosses him into the prime time of the gladiator pit.—
Naomi Fry,
New Yorker,
15 June 2026
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But the emotional gravity of this offering's deeply personal, melancholic lyrical content plucks an undeniably profound chord that uniquely separates it from the rest of his work.—
Chris Barilla,
PEOPLE,
29 May 2026
Verb
-
When a roach walks through an area treated with boric acid, the dust clings to its body, later attacking its nervous system when ingested.—
Arricca Elin SanSone,
Southern Living,
4 June 2026
-
The species also clings to a handful of shrinking water sources along its namesake river in northern Mexico.—
Moná Thomas,
PEOPLE,
1 June 2026
Verb
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Matthew Kriner, executive director of the Institute for Countering Digital Extremism, said that the very creation of the video and document for public consumption strongly situates this attack within a specific subculture of far-right extremism.—
Odette Yousef,
NPR,
27 May 2026
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The disarmament thus takes place as an ecological project, one that situates AI within the broad sweep of human culture and that orients it towards human flourishing, not toward warfare, monopolistic power, or new inequalities.—
Nate Anderson,
ArsTechnica,
25 May 2026
Verb
-
Rose gave up five first-round draft picks to acquire the versatile wing from the Brooklyn Nets.—
Sean Gregory,
Time,
14 June 2026
-
Because there is no rush, with no games to be played for four months and no draft picks to be made for more than a week.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
12 June 2026
Verb
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View gallery - 10 images Intended for full-time living, the Porto squeezes a lot into its modest footprint.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
8 June 2026
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Even Zach Cherry squeezes plenty from his part as the dealership’s manager, who grows loudly resentful when Nate seems more emotionally invested in his biological children than coworkers.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
27 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Sticks.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sticks. Accessed 18 Jun. 2026.
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