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
An American teacher and his teenage son have been stung to death while on holiday in Laos.
—
Christian Orozco, NBC news, 5 Nov. 2025
An American father and son died after being stung by a swarm of hornets while ziplining in Southeast Asia, local officials confirmed.
—Natalie Neysa Alund, USA Today, 4 Nov. 2025
While basic first aid can often ease the pain of a bee sting, according to the Mayo Clinic, those who are stung more than a dozen times can experience a more severe reaction, which includes nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, fever and lightheadedness.
—Desiree Anello, PEOPLE, 25 Oct. 2025
Considering that one cocktail could cost one hour of some employees’ wages, the removal of that free drink benefit stung even more, Quimby and Reber told Deadline.
—Katie Campione, Deadline, 24 Oct. 2025
John Kell Amazon Web Services stung by massive outage.
—John Kell, Fortune, 22 Oct. 2025
Gaia sent a giant scorpion to stop Orion, who was stung and died.
—Hannah Parry, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Oct. 2025
But Saturday in Austin stung McLaren greatly, as a melee at Turn 1 ended with its drivers touching and retiring, opening the door for Verstappen to make the maximum sprint win gain.
—Luke Smith, New York Times, 19 Oct. 2025
Algren, stung by Beauvoir’s independence, treated her miserably.
—Alexandra Schwartz, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2025
Christian Orozco, NBC news, 5 Nov. 2025
An American father and son died after being stung by a swarm of hornets while ziplining in Southeast Asia, local officials confirmed.
—Natalie Neysa Alund, USA Today, 4 Nov. 2025
While basic first aid can often ease the pain of a bee sting, according to the Mayo Clinic, those who are stung more than a dozen times can experience a more severe reaction, which includes nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, fever and lightheadedness.
—Desiree Anello, PEOPLE, 25 Oct. 2025
Considering that one cocktail could cost one hour of some employees’ wages, the removal of that free drink benefit stung even more, Quimby and Reber told Deadline.
—Katie Campione, Deadline, 24 Oct. 2025
John Kell Amazon Web Services stung by massive outage.
—John Kell, Fortune, 22 Oct. 2025
Gaia sent a giant scorpion to stop Orion, who was stung and died.
—Hannah Parry, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Oct. 2025
But Saturday in Austin stung McLaren greatly, as a melee at Turn 1 ended with its drivers touching and retiring, opening the door for Verstappen to make the maximum sprint win gain.
—Luke Smith, New York Times, 19 Oct. 2025
Algren, stung by Beauvoir’s independence, treated her miserably.
—Alexandra Schwartz, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stung
Verb
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Successive hurricanes had gouged a hole in the Sunshine State, leaving several private carriers insolvent — and leaving hundreds of thousands of their customers with no choice but Citizens.—
Mario Ariza,
ProPublica,
15 Sep. 2025
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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
Verb
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The fractures within the group, however — with some of the cast siding with Ariana Madix (who’d been cheated on), and others agreeing to film with Tom Sandoval (who had cheated) — made filming for Season 11 mostly unsustainainable.—
Kate Aurthur,
Variety,
3 Nov. 2025
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Overall, prosecutors allege the nearly three-dozen defendants cheated unfortunate players out of at least $7 million.—
Ben Brachfeld,
PEOPLE,
28 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
But there's also concern that these programs, some funded by private donations and not used to such demand, will be financially squeezed.—
Lily Altavena,
Freep.com,
30 Oct. 2025
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George Matysik, executive director of Share Food Program, a Philadelphia food bank, told USA TODAY that food banks are already squeezed by federal funding cuts.—
Nicole Fallert,
USA Today,
28 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Thermal runaway, or self-heating, can occur without warning in lithium batteries as a result of various factors, including if the battery is damaged, overheated, exposed to water, overcharged or improperly packed, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.—
Toria Sheffield,
PEOPLE,
19 Oct. 2025
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That same year, millions of plaintiffs filed an antitrust class action lawsuit seeking over $1 billion in damages that alleged Sutter Health overcharged customers and companies for health care bills and discouraged clients from using other lower-cost services.—
Kyle Martin,
Mercury News,
13 Oct. 2025
Verb
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At times, Gerber has even worn pieces plucked directly from Crawford’s wardrobe.—
Christian Allaire,
Vogue,
2 Nov. 2025
-
Raped with a statue of Jesus plucked from a mantle.—
Mike Hixenbaugh,
NBC news,
30 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Scorched and stained pots and pans almost always require scraping and scouring, and cast-iron skillets can rust when soaked.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
6 Nov. 2025
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His fiction, neither notably blood-soaked nor mythologically freighted, also differs starkly from the work of Larry McMurtry and Cormac McCarthy, contemporaries who likewise were famously steeped in the West.—
Tyler Austin Harper,
The Atlantic,
30 Oct. 2025
Verb
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All that was between him and a defender was Stafford, who hustled to get into position before offering a chicken wing of a block.—
Nate Atkins,
New York Times,
3 Nov. 2025
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But Boberg, a freshman defender, hustled to the goal line to block the attempt.—
Mike Cook,
Twin Cities,
29 Oct. 2025
Verb
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More than 1 million federal student loan borrowers are stuck in a backlog to enroll in repayment plans, according to court records from mid-September.—
Annie Nova,
CNBC,
31 Oct. 2025
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Hunt, stuck in traffic four yards shy of the goal line when Mahomes took off, slipped through the line and rolled along with his quarterback and found an opening.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
31 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Stung.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stung. Accessed 7 Nov. 2025.
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