1
2
as in to pluck
to rob by the use of trickery or threats
swindlers who sting unwary tourists by posing as officials demanding money
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in scam
an instance of the use of dishonest methods to acquire something of value
the pawn shop operation turned out to be a sting by undercover police officers to catch the ring of burglars
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in tingle
a sharp unpleasant sensation usually felt in some specific part of the body
the sting of cold air against my face
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 sting
Jaclyn Cosgrove, Los Angeles Times, 22 May 2025
Prior to the attack, Hillman said she'd never once been stung by a bee.
—Elizabeth Weise, USA Today, 16 May 2025
Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 25 May 2025
Listen to this article 1 min Olympic wrestling gold medalist Kyle Snyder pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of disorderly conduct after he was arrested in connection to a prostitution sting last week.
—Chantz Martin, FOXNews.com, 20 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for sting
Verb
Barnes has never been stung and attributes that to swimming to travel through the ocean.
—Jaclyn Cosgrove, Los Angeles Times, 22 May 2025
Prior to the attack, Hillman said she'd never once been stung by a bee.
—Elizabeth Weise, USA Today, 16 May 2025
Noun
Unfortunately, beyond the painful stings some can deliver, ants can also have detrimental effects on the garden.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 25 May 2025
Listen to this article 1 min Olympic wrestling gold medalist Kyle Snyder pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of disorderly conduct after he was arrested in connection to a prostitution sting last week.
—Chantz Martin, FOXNews.com, 20 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for sting
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sting
Verb
-
The tax cuts in President Donald Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill Act would likely gouge a hole in the federal budget.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
8 June 2025
-
Democrats tend to blame oil companies, regularly accusing them of gouging to make excessive profits and even passing state legislation to prevent it.—
Michael Smolens,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
1 June 2025
Verb
-
And yet, it’s still rooted in something real, because Perry plucked much of the heavy-handed dialog Keery delivers verbatim from the Wowee Zowee press kit, contemporaneous Malkmus interviews, and things Malkmus told Perry himself.—
Jon Blistein,
Rolling Stone,
4 June 2025
-
The eggs, of course, are plucked from the hen house each morning.—
Matthew Monagan,
Travel + Leisure,
3 June 2025
Noun
-
Thankfully, all the scam spam doesn’t seem to have killed anyone’s appetite for the grift as a genre.—
Allison Morrow,
CNN Money,
7 June 2025
-
Vague delivery details could signal a scam Here's how the scam works, according to the BBB: Need a break?—
Betty Lin-Fisher,
USA Today,
7 June 2025
Noun
-
Formulated with spicy ginger oil and hyaluronic acid, a quick tingle leads to softer, smoother lips sans stickiness.—
Conçetta Ciarlo,
Vogue,
27 Apr. 2025
-
The product glides on smooth like butter and leaves behind a faint cooling tingle.—
Conçetta Ciarlo,
Vogue,
17 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
The responsibility and reasoning behind infidelity lie solely with the person who cheated.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
2 June 2025
-
After reconciling, the former couple still faced several challenges, including cheating allegations and public social media fallouts.—
Elizabeth Ayoola,
Essence,
30 May 2025
Verb
-
Hundreds of people squeezed into the Jewish Community Center in Boulder, Colo., for a vigil that featured prayer, singing and emotional testimony from a victim and witnesses of the firebombing attack in the city’s downtown, after a federal judge blocked the deportation of the suspect’s family.—
Colleen Slevin,
Los Angeles Times,
5 June 2025
-
In some towns, utility poles were removed so the caravans could squeeze through.—
Angela Jackson,
Forbes.com,
5 June 2025
Noun
-
The slashing of the benefits of medical care, food and other assistance to low-income families in this bill goes so far beyond even the most exaggerated claim of fraud, waste and abuse as to be cynically and sadistically abusive.—
Letters to the Editor,
The Orlando Sentinel,
8 June 2025
-
Meanwhile, in the UK, SIM swap fraud surged by over 1,000% in 2024.—
Jon Stojan,
USA Today,
7 June 2025
Noun
-
Many people with babesiosis don’t feel sick or have symptoms, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, but some may experience flu-like symptoms such as a fever, chills, sweating, body aches, appetite loss, nausea or fatigue.—
Natalie Jones,
Baltimore Sun,
30 May 2025
-
Listeriosis can cause fever, muscle aches, headaches, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance and convulsions, diarrhea and other gastrointestinal symptoms.—
Jasmine Laws,
MSNBC Newsweek,
21 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Sting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sting. Accessed 13 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share