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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His boys became obsessed with Spurs at a young age, leading McIntyre to start going to away matches and on pre-season tours in the early 2010s.—
Tim Spiers,
New York Times,
28 Jan. 2026
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Just as Shirley Cabey had rushed into Manhattan upon learning that Darrell had been shot, so too had the other boys’ parents.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Five years ago in Placer County, Lavrenov was a thick-bodied lad before the weight room transformed his body.—
Joe Davidson,
Sacbee.com,
23 Jan. 2026
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George Martin became the world’s most legendary producer with the Beatles, the studio wizard who teamed up with four lads from Liverpool to transform music.—
Rob Sheffield,
Rolling Stone,
15 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The mark also set a record for most points by a teenager in NBA history, surpassing Cliff Robinson’s 45 points scored on March 9, 1980 — the same year Norm Sonju co-founded the Mavericks and just one year before the franchise drafted Aguirre with the first overall pick in 1981.—
Mike Curtis,
Dallas Morning News,
30 Jan. 2026
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But one recent prospect ranking dropped an Elly comparison onto a teenager buried deep in the Phillies’ farm system.—
Anthony Stitt,
Forbes.com,
30 Jan. 2026
Noun
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That money is reserved for kids who live in ZIP codes with a median family income of $150,000 or less and who won't get the $1,000 seed money from the Treasury.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
29 Jan. 2026
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But the dead kid’s eyes held her to the corner of 110th.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Choose the one that works best for your adolescent.—
Dr. Theresa T. Nguyen,
Boston Herald,
26 Oct. 2025
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Driscoll’s workbook on mental health care for children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes also walks through various strategies, including communication and problem-solving skills.—
Lauren J. Young,
Scientific American,
14 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Stripling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stripling. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
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