as in boy
a male person who has not yet reached adulthood
the young boxer looked like a mere stripling next to his larger, more seasoned opponent
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Recent Examples of stripling
More important still, thrilling these ultra-cultured striplings means winning over mom and dad, too.
—
Devorah Lev-Tov, Robb Report, 25 June 2023
In Dunst’s hands, Antoinette is naturally happy, an excitable stripling full of life — the sort of protagonist you’d root for simply because the performer inhabiting her is so agreeable.
—Matthew Jacobs, Vulture, 2 Dec. 2021
Best-selling author Margaret George has just published a novel repackaging the Roman emperor Nero, whose name has evoked mayhem and recreational pyromania for the past 2,000 years, as a misunderstood stripling.
—Joe Queenan, WSJ, 5 May 2017
Devorah Lev-Tov, Robb Report, 25 June 2023
In Dunst’s hands, Antoinette is naturally happy, an excitable stripling full of life — the sort of protagonist you’d root for simply because the performer inhabiting her is so agreeable.
—Matthew Jacobs, Vulture, 2 Dec. 2021
Best-selling author Margaret George has just published a novel repackaging the Roman emperor Nero, whose name has evoked mayhem and recreational pyromania for the past 2,000 years, as a misunderstood stripling.
—Joe Queenan, WSJ, 5 May 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stripling
Noun
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The tifo had been made before the club agreed to let their homegrown lad, born six miles from Villa Park, join Saturday’s opponents.—
Jacob Tanswell,
New York Times,
18 Aug. 2025
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The Boyfriend Jersey, Derby Shorts and Porter LS Top are nods to ’90s lad style, while the Dean Cardigan and Trinity Kilt lend a preppy contrast.—
Angela Velasquez,
Sourcing Journal,
11 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Archie Gray, the teenager who primarily played in defence last season following a summer move from Leeds United due to the club’s injury crisis, looked excellent in midfield in the 1-1 draw with Newcastle United — not to mention in the UEFA Super Cup against Paris Saint-Germain.—
Jay Harris,
New York Times,
16 Aug. 2025
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Dieng, 6 feet 2 and 170 pounds, was playing as a teenager for the Sahel Academy in Dakar, Senegal, when Rainbow Sports, an African scouting service, connected him with Burke and the Hartford franchise, which was looking for younger players to develop along with their veterans.—
Dom Amore,
Hartford Courant,
16 Aug. 2025
Noun
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And just traveling the world with my kids and my wife, and being able to eat and explore different flavors with them, has turned into this.—
Kenneth J. Williams Jr,
Forbes.com,
18 Aug. 2025
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In it, captivating images showed Black kids in preppy and collegiate wear, lounging on the porches of million-dollar waterfront homes, overlooking Inkwell Beach.—
Meagan Jordan,
Rolling Stone,
17 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Research published in the Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry estimates that about 1 to 3 percent of children and adolescents have OCD, with early-onset cases sometimes appearing before age 5.—
Daniella Gray,
MSNBC Newsweek,
16 Aug. 2025
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Older adults tend to have fewer moles than children, adolescents, and young adults.172 Family history: Moles tend to run in families.—
Carrie Madormo,
Health,
7 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Stripling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stripling. Accessed 29 Aug. 2025.
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