1
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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
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
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
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
Gail Sheehy, Vanity Fair, 20 Feb. 2026
Denver’s staff is still a couple of months away from that level of war-room intimacy, a few weeks after the sting of a season-ending loss in the AFC Championship Game.
—Luca Evans, Denver Post, 18 Feb. 2026
Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 18 Feb. 2026
Further down the supply chain, former Army Ranger Patrick Montgomery, who runs KC Cattle Company, located outside Kansas City, Missouri, has been stung by high prices.
—Bloomberg Wire, Dallas Morning News, 18 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for sting
Noun
The sting was in the difference between the status of his half-brother—a prince who could move back and forth between black and white worlds at a time when the color barrier was monolithic—and the stepson of a postal worker.
—Gail Sheehy, Vanity Fair, 20 Feb. 2026
Denver’s staff is still a couple of months away from that level of war-room intimacy, a few weeks after the sting of a season-ending loss in the AFC Championship Game.
—Luca Evans, Denver Post, 18 Feb. 2026
Verb
The loss of Puig, who might be the most irreplaceable player in MLS, will certainly sting.
—Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 18 Feb. 2026
Further down the supply chain, former Army Ranger Patrick Montgomery, who runs KC Cattle Company, located outside Kansas City, Missouri, has been stung by high prices.
—Bloomberg Wire, Dallas Morning News, 18 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for sting
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sting
Noun
-
In the true spirit of Sámi, and more specifically, joiking, Barruk’s work is intended to be felt fully, a tingle from the top of your head down to your toes.—
Erika Owen,
Condé Nast Traveler,
23 Feb. 2026
-
There's a tingle in the air, right?—
Dalton Ross,
Entertainment Weekly,
16 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The scam reportedly tricked Russian drone operators into giving away the location of their Starlink terminals, allowing Ukrainian artillery and drones to target them.—
Simon Shuster,
The Atlantic,
27 Feb. 2026
-
But Quilici said total monetary losses from scams have grown.—
Megan De Mar,
CBS News,
27 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Others representing landlords said the number of price-gouging complaints had fallen off since April, signaling no need for extended protections.—
Steve Scauzillo,
Daily News,
25 Feb. 2026
-
Hydee Feldstein Soto’s office has filed seven price-gouging lawsuits — three civil, four criminal — ranging from individual landlords to housing companies such as Blueground and Airbnb.—
Jack Flemming,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The pool and hot tub setup look like they were plucked from an island retreat, set underneath palm trees and boasting a splash pad.—
Nora Heston Tarte,
Mercury News,
24 Feb. 2026
-
Scheelhaase shifted to coaching at Illinois in 2015 and rose up the ranks at Iowa State under head coach Matt Campbell for six seasons before McVay plucked him from the college ranks in 2024.—
PJ Green,
Kansas City Star,
23 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Symptoms include vomiting and diarrhea, nausea and stomach pain, body aches, headache and fever.—
Steven Rosenbaum,
CBS News,
27 Feb. 2026
-
Based on a novel by Sally Rooney, the show captures the quiet ache of two people drawn to each other despite the obstacles that keep pulling them apart.—
Hanna Wickes,
Kansas City Star,
20 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
One Minnesota federal prosecutor last summer estimated that the total fraud across several programs could exceed $9 billion.—
STEVE KARNOWSKI THE ASSOCIATED PRESS,
Arkansas Online,
27 Feb. 2026
-
In Minneapolis, Minnesota, a home healthcare agency named Twin Cities Care Services received $116,000 in reimbursements over just two months in 2024, even though the business was busted eight years earlier for Medicaid fraud.—
Mia Cathell,
The Washington Examiner,
27 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Intellectually impaired athletes have been sidelined from the Winter Paralympics for more than two decades following a major cheating scandal.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
2 Mar. 2026
-
When doing that, they‘ve made it to the World Series once, losing to the cheating Houston Astros.—
Bill Shaikin,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Before that, the bipartisan Social Security Fairness Act that passed in January 2025 was already squeezing Social Security, CRFB said.—
Medora Lee,
USA Today,
28 Feb. 2026
-
Video shows the women squeezing through the window and screaming obscenities at the people inside, while tossing food, beverages and packaging.—
Brian Niemietz,
New York Daily News,
28 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Sting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sting. Accessed 5 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
