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
Mickey Mouse will celebrate his 100th birthday in 2028; now in its 46th year, ESPN is a mere stripling compared to the chipper murine in the funny red pants.
—
Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 18 Mar. 2026
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
Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 18 Mar. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stripling
Noun
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Appearing on America's Newsroom, Crean Lutheran High School girls’ track and field athlete Olivia Viola addressed CIF's ongoing neglect of female athletes' calls to oust boys from competition, including AB Hernandez.—
Alejandro Avila OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
19 May 2026
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Set in 1962, a boy roughly Travolta’s age voyages from New York to Los Angeles on a series of hopping flights with his mother, who is hoping to land a rich husband or a good Hollywood role in that order.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
19 May 2026
Noun
-
The Portsmouth lads were absolutely brilliant.—
Elias Burke,
New York Times,
23 May 2026
-
And Colbert made the most of it, bringing on special cameos from pals like Tig Notaro, his original bandleader, and a certain lad from Liverpool.—
Bethy Squires,
Vulture,
22 May 2026
Noun
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The teenager died on May 15 and her body was taken from the hospital by specialized teams and taken directly to the cemetery for a secure burial.—
Justin Kabumba,
Los Angeles Times,
22 May 2026
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Investigators from its major crimes unit believe the fire was deliberately set, police said, and one of the teenagers — a 15-year-old girl — is facing charges of arson causing damage to property and possession of incendiary material.—
Molly Morrow,
Chicago Tribune,
22 May 2026
Noun
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The kid from Sin City looked like a winner from the first pull, gaining 777 receiving yards with three TDs as a rookie.—
Tim Graham,
New York Times,
21 May 2026
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Many other people reject formal education (for other people, though usually not for their own kids) as unnecessary to attaining the highest ranks of wealth and power.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
21 May 2026
Noun
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Gadd gained almost 90 pounds to play adult Ruben (Stuart Campbell in flashbacks), the fractured older-brother figure of Niall (Jamie Bell as an adult; Mitchell Robertson as an adolescent), while their mothers date each other.—
Savannah Walsh,
Vanity Fair,
14 May 2026
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The epitome of an enfant terrible, Rimbaud was a rebellious adolescent with a tempestuous personal life (ask fellow poet Paul Verlaine).—
René Ostberg,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
7 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Stripling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stripling. Accessed 26 May. 2026.
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