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
Emily Blackwood, PEOPLE, 8 Nov. 2025
That always sticks in my head now, something like that coming from a legend like that.
—Lisa Deaderick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Nov. 2025
Bell then take a straw of his own, sticks it into Peck's mouth, and begins sipping liquid from his pal's oral orifice.
—Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 6 Nov. 2025
But one offer from former Auburn coach Gus Malzahn still sticks in his craw, all these years later — the only offer Abrams-Draine had to play defensive back.
—Luca Evans, Denver Post, 27 Oct. 2025
With off-putting brusqueness, the acupuncturist sticks needles into my head and left leg, leaves the room—and appears to forget all about me.
—Lucinda Rosenfeld, New Yorker, 25 Oct. 2025
Robbie and Jayson have a furious battle, but Jayson sticks the fatal knife stab before fleeing.
—Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 13 Oct. 2025
The cast delivers in terms of performances, and Ashleigh Cummings sticks the landing as the protagonist who must turn her abductors against each other in order to get out alive.
—Vanessa Maki, Vulture, 8 Oct. 2025
Inside the furnace, a reaction takes place that rips the oxygen from the silica and sticks it to the carbon from the wood.
—IEEE Spectrum, 22 Sep. 2025
Verb
Unlike the film's 1931 predecessor, del Toro promised that his Frankenstein sticks more closely to the original text.
—Emily Blackwood, PEOPLE, 8 Nov. 2025
That always sticks in my head now, something like that coming from a legend like that.
—Lisa Deaderick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Nov. 2025
Bell then take a straw of his own, sticks it into Peck's mouth, and begins sipping liquid from his pal's oral orifice.
—Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 6 Nov. 2025
But one offer from former Auburn coach Gus Malzahn still sticks in his craw, all these years later — the only offer Abrams-Draine had to play defensive back.
—Luca Evans, Denver Post, 27 Oct. 2025
With off-putting brusqueness, the acupuncturist sticks needles into my head and left leg, leaves the room—and appears to forget all about me.
—Lucinda Rosenfeld, New Yorker, 25 Oct. 2025
Robbie and Jayson have a furious battle, but Jayson sticks the fatal knife stab before fleeing.
—Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 13 Oct. 2025
The cast delivers in terms of performances, and Ashleigh Cummings sticks the landing as the protagonist who must turn her abductors against each other in order to get out alive.
—Vanessa Maki, Vulture, 8 Oct. 2025
Inside the furnace, a reaction takes place that rips the oxygen from the silica and sticks it to the carbon from the wood.
—IEEE Spectrum, 22 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sticks
Verb
-
Painting indoors during the winter can be a productive way to refresh your space, but temperature and indoor conditions play a major role in how well the paint adheres and dries.—
Timothy Dale,
The Spruce,
6 Jan. 2026
-
Based on a true story, the novel adheres remarkably to the facts.—
The Know,
Denver Post,
7 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
This kind of price tag puts Tucker in reach of teams like the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Yankees.—
Zach Pressnell,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Nov. 2025
-
One alternate ending in particular puts the phenomenon in a different light.—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
5 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Alex breaks free and, in a panic, repeatedly stabs Evelyn with the syringe.—
Allison DeGrushe,
Entertainment Weekly,
25 Sep. 2025
-
Spike takes one of Kelson's tranquilizer darts filled with morphine and stabs Samson in the arm with it.—
Christopher Rudolph,
PEOPLE,
23 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The dog jumps up and plucks the burger from her—a move that left viewers stunned and amused by the canine's flawless execution.—
Maria Morava,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 Oct. 2025
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There may be even greater reasons to put an ad that plucks the heartstrings in front of a broader crowd.—
Brian Steinberg,
Variety,
5 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Cherry Blossoms • Monique’s picking up on the intensity with which Angel clings to her identity as an NFL wife was genuinely insightful and has the potential to be a real breakthrough moment for Angel in what has been a very fraught season for her.—
Shamira Ibrahim,
Vulture,
5 Jan. 2026
-
Furthermore, the editorial clings to an outdated vision of the Loop as solely a 9-to-5 business district.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
4 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Brands latest portrait follows Washington from early life through his maturation as a general and leader, and situates the first president among his many allies and rivals.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
6 Jan. 2026
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Dante situates it on a mountain rising out of an empty sea.—
Claudia Roth Pierpont,
New Yorker,
24 Nov. 2025
Verb
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The robot picks unsorted bearing rings and places them onto a buffer table.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
8 Jan. 2026
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Our top picks start at $16, with some even on sale, too.—
Alicia Geigel,
Southern Living,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
As Arizona squeezes more money from its decreasing share of river water, freighting every drop with critical industries and a booming housing market, the price of water is bound to keep climbing.—
Austin Corona,
AZCentral.com,
6 Nov. 2025
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The country’s geography squeezes a wild variety into a tight map.—
William Jones,
USA Today,
6 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Sticks.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sticks. Accessed 8 Jan. 2026.
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