sticks 1 of 2

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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

sticks

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of stick
1
as in adheres
to hold to something firmly as if by adhesion those magnets are strong enough to stick to the refrigerator without any problems

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

2
3
4

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 sticks
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
  • However, some state workers currently using public transit have questions about capacity, especially as declining state and federal transit funding puts a strain on transit agencies.
    Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 1 July 2026
  • That puts her in the club of four other millionaire authors on the bench – Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Ketanji Brown Jackson, Neil Gorsuch and Clarence Thomas.
    Maureen Groppe, USA Today, 30 June 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
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
  • 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
  • The dream has to be pinned down, even though a faint trace of this truth still clings to it.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 19 June 2026
  • How Often to Clean a Fiberglass Shower Clean fiberglass showers and tubs weekly to remove body soil and soap scum that clings to the finish.
    Mary Marlowe Leverette, The Spruce, 19 June 2026
Verb
  • Sittenfeld deftly situates the problems of patriarchy and class politics within an intimate, decades-long love story—and what is more American than that potent mix?
    Hannah Jocelyn, New Yorker, 1 July 2026
  • Celebrated artists such as Oscar Murillo, Selma Selman, and Hew Locke will be among the participants in next year’s edition of the show, which situates commissions around Münster.
    Alex Greenberger, ARTnews.com, 30 June 2026
Verb
  • New reads abound for your vacation tote throughout the weeks of July, with fiction picks featuring a Carnival cruise casualty, a highly entertaining jewel heist at the Waldorf-Astoria, and a Soviet-era madcap adventure.
    Bethanne Patrick, Los Angeles Times, 2 July 2026
  • And with all the trades Peterson has pulled off in his tenure at the helm, the Hornets boast a treasure trove of draft picks just over the next five years alone.
    Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 1 July 2026
Verb
  • With electric vehicles continuing to gain share, that further squeezes European carmakers.
    Neil Winton, Forbes.com, 20 June 2026
  • At one point, the SUV squeezes past a traffic cone while making a left turn and narrowly avoids colliding with a large truck.
    Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 17 June 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Sticks.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sticks. Accessed 2 Jul. 2026.

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