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
Relevance
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
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 stung
In a season of difficult defeats, the Royals’ 10-9 loss to Detroit in April really stung.
—
Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 1 June 2026
The loss stung for Granada Hills, which was trying to repeat as City champs after taking the title from the Colts last season.
—Ethan Hanson, Daily News, 30 May 2026
The best safety measure when encountering bees near nests is to leave the area and create distance to avoid being stung by female carpenter bees.
—Michelle Mastro, Martha Stewart, 30 May 2026
The loss stung, but Stankiewicz and his players have no choice but to focus on the journey ahead.
—Joaquin Ruiz, Los Angeles Times, 25 May 2026
The Sacramento Bee gathered information on what kinds of jellyfish you can be found on the coast, whether their sting is harmful to humans and what to do if you get stung.
—Veronica Fernandez-Alvarado, Sacbee.com, 20 May 2026
President Jimmy Carter, stung by that generation’s problems with the Gulf producers, hailed us as the Saudi Arabia of coal and pressured utilities to build coal plants, hence the 50% of the grid that was coal.
—Jim Cramer, CNBC, 17 May 2026
Paul took it on the chin, while admitting that the bad reviews stung.
—Damon Wise, Deadline, 16 May 2026
Stray bits of hair escaped my ponytail and stung my eyes.
—Literary Hub, 14 May 2026
Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 1 June 2026
The loss stung for Granada Hills, which was trying to repeat as City champs after taking the title from the Colts last season.
—Ethan Hanson, Daily News, 30 May 2026
The best safety measure when encountering bees near nests is to leave the area and create distance to avoid being stung by female carpenter bees.
—Michelle Mastro, Martha Stewart, 30 May 2026
The loss stung, but Stankiewicz and his players have no choice but to focus on the journey ahead.
—Joaquin Ruiz, Los Angeles Times, 25 May 2026
The Sacramento Bee gathered information on what kinds of jellyfish you can be found on the coast, whether their sting is harmful to humans and what to do if you get stung.
—Veronica Fernandez-Alvarado, Sacbee.com, 20 May 2026
President Jimmy Carter, stung by that generation’s problems with the Gulf producers, hailed us as the Saudi Arabia of coal and pressured utilities to build coal plants, hence the 50% of the grid that was coal.
—Jim Cramer, CNBC, 17 May 2026
Paul took it on the chin, while admitting that the bad reviews stung.
—Damon Wise, Deadline, 16 May 2026
Stray bits of hair escaped my ponytail and stung my eyes.
—Literary Hub, 14 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stung
Verb
-
The bullets shattered nine panes of glass, their wooden framework gouged by bullet fragments.—
David Frum,
The Atlantic,
21 May 2026
-
Nobody likes being price gouged, whether at the gas pump, ticket purchase, or a rideshare.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
However, instead of wrapping up storylines neatly, the series' final episode created more questions, and left many feeling cheated of a firm resolution.—
Julie Tremaine,
PEOPLE,
23 May 2026
-
There’s a rule and Saints cheated in the play-offs, a separate competition.—
Jordan Campbell,
New York Times,
21 May 2026
Verb
-
Domestic flights will also get surcharged.—
Medora Lee,
USA Today,
12 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Freddie Freeman squeezed one inside the left-field foul pole in the first inning, his fourth home run in nine games (after hitting just one in the previous 35 games).—
Bill Plunkett,
Oc Register,
30 May 2026
-
The story of America’s lopsided home prices has often been pinned on the wealthy remote workers who squeezed home supply in the pandemic’s early days.—
Tristan Bove,
Fortune,
29 May 2026
Verb
-
The tenants estimated that they were overcharged by $50,000 to $100,000.—
Katelyn Umholtz,
Kansas City Star,
24 May 2026
-
The jury found that fans were overcharged for tickets as a direct result of this monopoly, paying higher fees for their tickets.—
Letitia James,
Rolling Stone,
21 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Many of the items for the set were quite literally plucked from her residence ahead of her Saturday Night Live performance at the end of last year.—
Angela Tafoya,
Architectural Digest,
29 May 2026
-
Etna, a battle-scarred but kindhearted shepherd mix who was plucked from his home on the eve of an unspecified conflict in an unnamed country, has grown weary of war’s brutalities and longs to return to the coastal farm of his puppyhood.—
Emily Temple,
Literary Hub,
26 May 2026
Verb
-
Strawberries will absorb water after being washed or soaked, then begin to break down and turn mushy.—
Kimberly Holland,
Southern Living,
29 May 2026
-
The key is to water deeply but infrequently, making sure soil is soaked to a 12-18 inch depth.—
Joshua Siskin,
Oc Register,
28 May 2026
Verb
-
In a sense, bees went from wild foragers to shift workers, clocking in for bloom season as beekeepers hustled them from farm to farm.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 May 2026
-
Napoleon Solo hustled to first place at the 151st running of the Preakness Stakes on Saturday, coming out on top against 13 other horses in what is the race's biggest field in 15 years.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
16 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Stung.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stung. Accessed 6 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
