1
2
as in to pluck
to rob by the use of trickery or threats
swindlers who sting unwary tourists by posing as officials demanding money
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in scam
an instance of the use of dishonest methods to acquire something of value
the pawn shop operation turned out to be a sting by undercover police officers to catch the ring of burglars
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in tingle
a sharp unpleasant sensation usually felt in some specific part of the body
the sting of cold air against my face
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of sting
Rosa Jisoo Pyo, Vogue, 14 Apr. 2025
Missing the first two playoff games is probably going to sting, right?
—Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 12 Apr. 2025
Max Klaver, Miami Herald, 25 Apr. 2025
Others may not like their AI avatar videos but consider the financial reward high enough to make up for the sting.
—ArsTechnica, 18 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sting
Verb
All in all a luxurious experience that rinses away easily without stinging the eyes.
—Rosa Jisoo Pyo, Vogue, 14 Apr. 2025
Missing the first two playoff games is probably going to sting, right?
—Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 12 Apr. 2025
Noun
And in Miami Gardens, where the median household income is about $60,000 — almost $20,000 less than the county median — that extra 25% stings.
—Max Klaver, Miami Herald, 25 Apr. 2025
Others may not like their AI avatar videos but consider the financial reward high enough to make up for the sting.
—ArsTechnica, 18 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sting
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sting
Verb
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The roof was scorched black and gouged open to the sky, insulation tufting from the walls.—
arkansasonline.com,
arkansasonline.com,
24 Mar. 2025
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Tickets for the shows are hard to come by as the band is using a face-value ticket exchange to prevent scalpers from gouging fans on the secondary market.—
Ethan Millman,
The Hollywood Reporter,
13 Mar. 2025
Verb
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To a visitor’s eye, the light switch is nowhere to be found—that is, until a tintype photograph is plucked from a ledge near the front door to reveal a white plastic switch plate.—
Shoko Wanger,
Architectural Digest,
1 May 2025
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More than 260 Southern California steelhead trout were plucked from their stream in the Palisades fire burn scar and moved to a different area, saving them from lethal debris flows.—
Lila Seidman,
Los Angeles Times,
22 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Apparently, the Administration doesn't want anyone to be exposed to data that might challenge its narrative that climate change is a scam.—
John Timmer,
ArsTechnica,
2 May 2025
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As the bill worked its way through the Tennessee legislature, Smith appeared last month before the Tennessee House Criminal Justice Subcommittee to share her experience with deepfakes and the ways in which the scam has impacted her and her family.—
Nicole Valdes,
CBS News,
1 May 2025
Noun
-
The product glides on smooth like butter and leaves behind a faint cooling tingle.—
Conçetta Ciarlo,
Vogue,
17 Apr. 2025
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That tingle of anxiety will become an old friend, and the feeling of having triumphed over fear will become equally familiar, if not more familiar, than the fear itself.—
Essence,
Essence,
25 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Disgruntled attendees, many of them authors, said they felt cheated by event organizers, who failed to deliver on most, if not all fronts.—
Amaris Encinas,
USA Today,
7 May 2025
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In their stories about others, 92% chronicled how misfortune befell cheating partners, indebted friends, bullies and lousy coworkers.—
Kameryn Griesser,
CNN Money,
1 May 2025
Verb
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For now, the researchers have left the ship in situ, partially covering it with original soil and squeezing wet sponges onto it to preserve moisture.—
Eli Wizevich,
Smithsonian Magazine,
30 Apr. 2025
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Productivity expectations have skyrocketed, squeezing more output into fewer hours.—
Ann Kowal Smith,
Forbes.com,
29 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Republicans defend the changes as necessary to prevent fraud in the petition-gathering process, but bill sponsors said that among hundreds of allegations of petition fraud in 2024, there were 18 arrests.—
Steve Bousquet,
Sun Sentinel,
3 May 2025
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Both were eventually convicted on various counts of wire and securities fraud, as well as money laundering.—
Joe Otterson,
Variety,
2 May 2025
Noun
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Grief arrives in waves — sometimes in quiet tears, sometimes in guttural sobs, sometimes in the simple, brutal ache of reaching for your phone to text her, only to remember a painstaking reality.—
Carissa Talmage,
People.com,
2 May 2025
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Headaches and migraines, which are described as tension-type headaches, are common in women and can be associated with other body aches and pains.—
Maia Niguel Hoskin,
Forbes.com,
30 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Sting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sting. Accessed 13 May. 2025.
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