1
as in scams
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
Relevance
2
as in pains
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
1
as in gouges
to charge (someone) too much for goods or services
a nightclub that's been stinging patrons for years
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in plucks
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
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Recent Examples of stings
Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 4 June 2026
However, when wasps are on the move, stings happen.
—Patricia S York, Southern Living, 3 June 2026
Carpenter ants, for example, can damage buildings by tunneling into wood, while fire ants are infamous for their painful stings and bites.
—Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 June 2026
While most jellyfish stings are not life-threatening, some people may have allergic reactions.
—Veronica Fernandez-Alvarado, Sacbee.com, 20 May 2026
Scorpions with long, slender claws need to hold onto a wrestling, fighting prey for longer to give the venom from their stings time to start working.
—Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 1 May 2026
Despite a severe allergy to bee stings, Sean cares for hives across New York City.
—John Calvelli, New York Daily News, 24 Apr. 2026
The Culiseta annulata mosquito stings, or bites, but is not known to be a primary vector for tropical diseases like malaria, yellow fever, and dengue.
—Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 22 Apr. 2026
Jason Stauffer, CNBC, 10 June 2026
The loss stings even more because Tiafoe is comfortable in these moments.
—Dan Zaksheske, FOXNews.com, 1 June 2026
Monitor for irritation—discontinue any product that stings, burns or worsens symptoms.
—Lauryn Higgins, Flow Space, 18 May 2026
This loss stings far more than the others, particularly because the Wild raised their own expectations.
—Michael Russo, New York Times, 14 May 2026
And Jaden McDaniels was right, which stings even more.
—Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 1 May 2026
Nothing stings more than seeing a shipping fee tacked on top of an order that was already a splurge.
—Hannah Chubb, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 Apr. 2026
This scene stings with recognition.
—Literary Hub, 29 Apr. 2026
That’s the part that stings the most.
—Mike Bianchi, The Orlando Sentinel, 16 Apr. 2026
Noun
Experts are advising anyone already sensitive to bee or wasp stings to speak with their doctor about carrying an epinephrine auto-injector as a precaution.
—Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 4 June 2026
However, when wasps are on the move, stings happen.
—Patricia S York, Southern Living, 3 June 2026
Carpenter ants, for example, can damage buildings by tunneling into wood, while fire ants are infamous for their painful stings and bites.
—Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 June 2026
While most jellyfish stings are not life-threatening, some people may have allergic reactions.
—Veronica Fernandez-Alvarado, Sacbee.com, 20 May 2026
Scorpions with long, slender claws need to hold onto a wrestling, fighting prey for longer to give the venom from their stings time to start working.
—Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 1 May 2026
Despite a severe allergy to bee stings, Sean cares for hives across New York City.
—John Calvelli, New York Daily News, 24 Apr. 2026
The Culiseta annulata mosquito stings, or bites, but is not known to be a primary vector for tropical diseases like malaria, yellow fever, and dengue.
—Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 22 Apr. 2026
Verb
This stings even more on the heels of Hyatt’s award chart overhaul, which now has five price tiers instead of three.
—Jason Stauffer, CNBC, 10 June 2026
The loss stings even more because Tiafoe is comfortable in these moments.
—Dan Zaksheske, FOXNews.com, 1 June 2026
Monitor for irritation—discontinue any product that stings, burns or worsens symptoms.
—Lauryn Higgins, Flow Space, 18 May 2026
This loss stings far more than the others, particularly because the Wild raised their own expectations.
—Michael Russo, New York Times, 14 May 2026
And Jaden McDaniels was right, which stings even more.
—Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 1 May 2026
Nothing stings more than seeing a shipping fee tacked on top of an order that was already a splurge.
—Hannah Chubb, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 Apr. 2026
This scene stings with recognition.
—Literary Hub, 29 Apr. 2026
That’s the part that stings the most.
—Mike Bianchi, The Orlando Sentinel, 16 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stings
Noun
-
The whole story is wild to read, and proof that scams, both online and on your phone, are big business and can make big money.—
Alan Henry,
PC Magazine,
29 May 2026
-
Banks including the United Kingdom’s Starling and the Commonwealth Bank of Australia have warned customers to watch out for voice cloning scams.—
CNN.com Wire Service,
Mercury News,
29 May 2026
Noun
-
However, while yellow journalism often resulted in articles that were exaggerated or misleading, TMZ usually takes pains to be rigorous and accurate in its reporting.—
Angelica Kalika,
The Conversation,
2 June 2026
-
Acer was also at pains to point out the large performance differential between the RTX 5070 Ti and the vanilla RTX 5070, which sounds similar.—
John Burek,
PC Magazine,
29 May 2026
Verb
-
In 2017, he was recalled after backing the $5 billion yearly gas tax that still gouges at the pump.—
John Seiler,
Oc Register,
6 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
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
-
The multi-instrumentalist singer-songwriter, who rocks an early era Maxwell ‘fro, plays drums, plucks bass, and sings about the ups and downs of love and consumerism on his new album, LK99.—
Elise Brisco,
Rolling Stone,
22 May 2026
Noun
-
Researchers suggested that future studies should include people who actually experience tingles to better understand how ASMR might help with mental health and relaxation.—
Lucy Notarantonio,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
An electronic safety system monitors each cell during operations, avoiding both under- and overcharges.—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
22 Aug. 2017
Verb
-
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
-
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
Noun
-
Mpox, a viral illness formerly known as monkeypox, generally starts with flu-like symptoms – fever, swollen glands, muscle aches, headaches and backaches.—
Natalie Neysa Alund,
USA Today,
3 June 2026
-
Others may have mild symptoms such as fever, headache, body aches or tiredness.—
Jennifer McRae,
CBS News,
3 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Stings.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stings. Accessed 12 Jun. 2026.
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