1
as in gouged
to charge (someone) too much for goods or services
a nightclub that's been stinging patrons for years
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in cheated
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
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Recent Examples of stung
Sherry recalls one instance that stung in particular, when a friend pointed out his hair loss at a social gathering.
—
Charles Trepany, USA Today, 4 Sep. 2025
None stung more than the second inning, when Freddie Freeman led off with a single against Pirates rookie Braxton Ashcraft.
—Fabian Ardaya, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2025
The news stung Maita, but Ellinghaus tempered it by offering him a different opportunity.
—Matt Le Cren, Chicago Tribune, 30 Aug. 2025
What stung even more was her father’s reaction.
—Ashley Vega, People.com, 23 Aug. 2025
Indeed, the vet suggested that Noodle had likely been stung multiple times by a wasp and then proceeded to eat it, which is why her reaction was so severe.
—Alyce Collins, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Aug. 2025
In this video, Peterson allowed himself to be stung on the forearm by North America’s largest species of wasp.
—Ernie Cowan, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Aug. 2025
Still, some outdoor visitors seem to arouse the ants more than others and get stung as soon as the ants land.
—Tom MacCubbin, The Orlando Sentinel, 16 Aug. 2025
Perhaps unsurprisingly, workers who have been stung by RTO mandates will likely be left reeling by the double standards of the findings—and CEOs know it.
—Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 12 Aug. 2025
Charles Trepany, USA Today, 4 Sep. 2025
None stung more than the second inning, when Freddie Freeman led off with a single against Pirates rookie Braxton Ashcraft.
—Fabian Ardaya, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2025
The news stung Maita, but Ellinghaus tempered it by offering him a different opportunity.
—Matt Le Cren, Chicago Tribune, 30 Aug. 2025
What stung even more was her father’s reaction.
—Ashley Vega, People.com, 23 Aug. 2025
Indeed, the vet suggested that Noodle had likely been stung multiple times by a wasp and then proceeded to eat it, which is why her reaction was so severe.
—Alyce Collins, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Aug. 2025
In this video, Peterson allowed himself to be stung on the forearm by North America’s largest species of wasp.
—Ernie Cowan, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Aug. 2025
Still, some outdoor visitors seem to arouse the ants more than others and get stung as soon as the ants land.
—Tom MacCubbin, The Orlando Sentinel, 16 Aug. 2025
Perhaps unsurprisingly, workers who have been stung by RTO mandates will likely be left reeling by the double standards of the findings—and CEOs know it.
—Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 12 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stung
Verb
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But a low spot in the ocean, a channel gouged down into the sand on the ocean surface, or a break in a sandbar, can disrupt that flow and push water through the spot to create a current much more powerful than the surrounding flow.—
Jennifer Borresen,
USA Today,
20 Aug. 2025
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The greedy people will get theirs when people get fed up with being gouged at every turn.—
Ticked Off,
The Orlando Sentinel,
15 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Passed over to his hapless son (Dacre Montgomery), our (anti-)hero wires a shotgun to his head and takes him hostage, claiming that the organization’s business maneuvers cheated him out of a substantial fortune.—
Radhika Seth,
Vogue,
5 Sep. 2025
-
The woman lives alone, AFP added, citing local media outlets, and was ultimately cheated out of approximately 1 million yen, or about $6,700.—
Jillian Frankel,
PEOPLE,
4 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The shakeups are the latest at a time when restaurants are squeezed between a labor shortage, rising food prices and a loss of customers as diners cut back on spending.—
Bud Kennedy,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
9 Sep. 2025
-
For now, the three youngest each sleep in their own pack-and-plays squeezed into their parents’ bedroom.—
Jeff Truesdell,
People.com,
9 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Flat-rate pricing leads to value misalignment, high-usage customers feel undercharged, and low-usage customers feel overcharged.—
Chris Kent,
Forbes.com,
1 Sep. 2025
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The sale was made by an international brokerage firm, owned by Boulos’ cousin, which overcharged the seemingly business savvy Kushner by millions of dollars and worked to conceal the true price.—
Martha Ross,
Mercury News,
22 Aug. 2025
Verb
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The Minimalist The latest crop of sleek, minimal leather jackets feel plucked from Gwyneth Paltrow in the 90s, in the best possible way.—
Christina Holevas,
Vogue,
3 Sep. 2025
-
There were no stoves in the cabins, so Huse plucked native oranges off the trees to make everyone freezer pies.—
Gabrielle Calise,
Miami Herald,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
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That event was booze-soaked; Zachary is now many years sober.—
Jordan Michelman,
The Atlantic,
4 Sep. 2025
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The sod is reset and soaked thoroughly.—
Steven Searcy,
IEEE Spectrum,
31 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Farnaz Farjam, one of the show’s executive producers, told Deadline that the production hustled to find a way to capture all three elements.—
Peter White,
Deadline,
1 Sep. 2025
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The band hustled to build their social-media accounts, play shows, and produce a new EP.—
Kyle Chayka,
New Yorker,
27 Aug. 2025
Verb
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This was the case for me, as a freshman who was secretly stuck in a cycle of binge eating and restriction but whose outer appearance didn’t change.—
Mallary Tenore Tarpley,
Time,
5 Sep. 2025
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And that has stuck pretty much ever since.—
Bethy Squires,
Vulture,
5 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Stung.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stung. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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