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
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 stings
Patricia S York, Southern Living, 3 June 2026
Thanks to this find, your patio is safer for friends and family to spend the summer with no fear of painful stings.
—Paige Bennett, 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
According to the Park Record, two people, including the driver of the truck, were transported to the hospital with minor injuries, including bee stings.
—Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 18 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
While Thursday’s loss stings, Bubic is hopeful KC can rebound this weekend.
—Jaylon Thompson, Kansas City Star, 16 Apr. 2026
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
The team had the best record in the major leagues as recently as June 13 of last season before collapsing and missing the postseason — a collapse that still stings for fans.
—Ryan Brennan, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 Mar. 2026
Noun
However, when wasps are on the move, stings happen.
—Patricia S York, Southern Living, 3 June 2026
Thanks to this find, your patio is safer for friends and family to spend the summer with no fear of painful stings.
—Paige Bennett, 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
According to the Park Record, two people, including the driver of the truck, were transported to the hospital with minor injuries, including bee stings.
—Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 18 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
While Thursday’s loss stings, Bubic is hopeful KC can rebound this weekend.
—Jaylon Thompson, Kansas City Star, 16 Apr. 2026
Verb
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
The team had the best record in the major leagues as recently as June 13 of last season before collapsing and missing the postseason — a collapse that still stings for fans.
—Ryan Brennan, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 Mar. 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
-
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
-
The closure of the Strait of Hormuz compounded the pains of militia attacks, forcing Iraq to declare force-majeure on foreign-run oil operations and curtail production.—
Nabil Salih,
Time,
26 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
-
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
-
War squeezes African, Asian economies further The fallout of the Iran war deepened globally as countries struggled to contain the impact of rising fuel and commodity prices.—
Semafor Events,
semafor.com,
22 May 2026
Noun
-
Those symptoms include muscle aches, fever, vomiting, and general weakness and discomfort.—
Dan Raby,
CBS News,
1 June 2026
-
Most adults including pregnant people either have no symptoms or experience mild, flu-like illness such as fever, fatigue, swollen lymph nodes, sore throat, and muscle or joint aches.—
Dr. Megan Yanny,
Boston Herald,
31 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Stings.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stings. Accessed 7 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
