stings 1 of 2

noun

plural of sting
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

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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

stings

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of sting
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
Noun
Tarantula hawk wasps are solitary insects known for their large size and intensely painful stings. — Sean Donnelly, USA Today, 17 Sep. 2026 Getting rid of paper wasps early prevents painful stings, allergic reactions, and infestations near your home’s living spaces. — Madeline Buiano, Martha Stewart, 3 Sep. 2026 Skyler Gisondo and singer-songwriter Phoebe Bridgers costar as an actor and a decoy in the stings. — David Faris, TheWeek, 1 Sep. 2026 At Bolsa Chica State Beach, swimmers suffering stings to the sides of their feet and toes sat in a circle refilling their pails with hot water from a hose. — ABC News, 13 Aug. 2026 While their stings are painful, wasps and hornets play a vital role in controlling other insect pests. — Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 13 Aug. 2026 Caterpillar hairs floated on the water’s surface, leaving swimmers with a necklace of red stings. — Ben Crair, New Yorker, 31 July 2026 This was in the era of mail-order CD clubs, when radio stations would pay $100 a month for one or two CDs full of background music to produce ads or stings. — Kieran Press-Reynolds, Pitchfork, 30 July 2026 Some new hires with flawless academic records may struggle the first time a project stalls or feedback stings. — Joash Lee, Forbes.com, 23 July 2026
Verb
Clement famously tried to get the Supreme Court to overturn President Obama's signature health care law, a loss that still stings. — Carrie Johnson, NPR, 14 Oct. 2026 General Mills spun off Darden Restaurants in 1995, and then Darden sold Red Lobster in 2014, in a deal with the private equity firm Golden Gate Capital that still stings many veterans to this day. — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 1 Oct. 2026 The pain of losing Hollywood actor Heath Ledger nearly 20 years ago still stings for his on-screen Dark Knight family. — Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 11 Sep. 2026 There is a feeling of humiliation that stings long after an event has passed. — Wilbert L. Cooper, Longreads, 25 Aug. 2026 February 19 – March 20 Your words may show where being misunderstood still stings. — Tarot.com, The Orlando Sentinel, 3 Aug. 2026 The female locates and stings a large insect such as a cicada or katydid and then brings it back to the burrow. — Tim Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 26 July 2026 That still stings, even if Wicky wasn’t one of the three to attempt a penalty. — Sam McDowell 9, Kansas City Star, 9 July 2026 If feedback stings, take a breath, separate taste from task, and keep what improves the result. — Tarot.com, Sun Sentinel, 28 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stings
  1. scams
  2. pains
  3. gouges
  4. plucks
  5. tingles
  6. overcharges
  7. squeezes
  8. aches
Noun
  • The duo shared an apartment and both had extensive criminal histories, including theft and financial scams, across various states.
    — Samantha Bergeson, Time, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Kair noted that property scams happen hundreds of times a year, usually targeting seniors and typically involving realtors or lawyers.
    — Joan Murray, CBS News, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of scams
Noun
  • The couple took pains to preserve historical details like the house's original wooden shutters.
    — Sophie Caldwell,Valentina Duarte, CNBC, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Nearly every single recipe from the Fizz’s golden age takes pains to specify that it should be made very cold, served without ice, and consumed immediately after delivery, an instruction that may seem pedantic but is nonetheless ubiquitous.
    — Jason O'Bryan, Robb Report, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of pains
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
Definition of gouges
Verb
  • Trump sometimes plucks memes from a sprawling ecosystem of online conservative supporters, and sometimes his government staff produces them as part of their official messaging.
    — Josh Boak, Los Angeles Times, 9 Sep. 2026
  • His torso and thighs grow eye-poppingly muscular beneath their skimpy fur-and-leather togs—a development that does not go unnoticed by a warrior named Red Hair, who plucks the young hunk from his post and tosses him into the prime time of the gladiator pit.
    — Naomi Fry, New Yorker, 15 June 2026
Definition of plucks
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
Definition of tingles
Verb
  • The most recent tally for 2024 shows overcharges ranging up to $480 per residential account.
    — Ed Hirs, Forbes.com, 8 July 2026
  • An electronic safety system monitors each cell during operations, avoiding both under- and overcharges.
    — IEEE Spectrum, IEEE Spectrum, 22 Aug. 2017
Definition of overcharges
Verb
  • But the strain extends across the Global South, where developing nations struggle with a prolonged energy crisis that disproportionately squeezes the planet’s most deprived.
    — Charlie Campbell, Time, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Meta squeezes two independent light-guiding cores into a single standard glass strand to double its bandwidth.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of squeezes
Noun
  • Some good medications to have include ibuprofen or naproxen, which can relieve headaches, body aches and sore throats by reducing inflammation and Acetaminophen, which can lower body temperature.
    — Brittney Melton, NPR, 20 Oct. 2026
  • The non-invasive form can cause gastrointestinal distress, fever and aches for a few days.
    — Eva Flowe October 15, Charlotte Observer, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of aches

Browse Nearby Words

stinging
stings
stingy
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Cite this Entry

“Stings.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stings. Accessed 24 Oct. 2026.

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