jab 1 of 2

as in punch
a quick thrust gave the jellyfish on the beach a cautious jab with my stick

Synonyms & Similar Words

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jab

2 of 2

verb

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 jab
Noun
In a great scene in the 2013 movie 42, Rickey (played by Harrison Ford) taunts the young athlete with racist jabs. Josh Hammer, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Apr. 2025 Vu attended the Blazers-Grizzlies game with his friend James Kim, the recipient of many of Vu’s elbow jabs and questions during games over the years. Jason Quick, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2025
Verb
There was joy and relief in abundance as Jota jabbed a finger towards the badge on his shirt before jubilant team-mate Curtis Jones jumped on his back. James Pearce, New York Times, 3 Apr. 2025 The weight of the pressure associated with being the Wildcats’ first-year coach, of not having won an NCAA Tournament game in a decade and lightheartedly being jabbed by his players as The Big Zero, had temporarily been lifted. Jesse Temple, New York Times, 27 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for jab
Recent Examples of Synonyms for jab
Noun
  • The entirety of Sinners may take place over the span of only 24 hours, but Ryan Coogler (Creed, Black Panther) sure manages to pack a punch into that timeframe.
    Megan McCluskey, Time, 18 Apr. 2025
  • Netflix’s earnings beat for Q1 comes amid broader fears of a looming economic downturn that could deliver a punch to consumer spending and ad budgets.
    Todd Spangler, Variety, 17 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • The passenger who shot him was stabbed in the back and lungs and remains in critical condition, according to CBS News.
    Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 19 Apr. 2025
  • One of the passengers, who was stabbed in the back and suffered a puncture to his lungs, shot and killed Taylor.
    Elaine Mallon, The Washington Examiner, 18 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • In the first, mice repeatedly poked their noses into a food port, with progressively more pokes required to earn each food pellet.
    Adam Kepecs, The Conversation, 10 Apr. 2025
  • And with two goals over the final 13:11 of regulation, thanks to Aidan Thompson’s rebound and Jared Wright’s 5-hole poke, the Pios darn near gave everybody in maroon a carDUvascular episode late.
    Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 10 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • The trip to Paris ended in defeat and while the return leg at Villa Park conjured up both a win and one of the best games of the season, Villa’s European dreams were punctured by Luis Enrique’s men.
    Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 24 Apr. 2025
  • The plotline’s matter-of-fact profanity at once punctured any sense of simplistic morality and underlined that world events always coexist with everyday indignities.
    Alison Herman, Variety, 17 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • To get an empty eggshell, pierce small holes on either end of a fresh, raw egg with a needle and gently blow the contents out into a bowl.
    Annabelle Canela, Parents, 16 Apr. 2025
  • Wolf, Puss in Boots’s big villain, had piercing red eyes; Sinners’s villain Remmick (Jack O’Connell) has piercing red eyes.
    Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 14 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • The toppings really make the dish here—pick your favorites!
    Elizabeth Nelson, Southern Living, 27 Apr. 2025
  • Steelers’ draft picks Picks will be updated throughout the 2025 NFL Draft, April 24–26.
    Mike DeFabo, New York Times, 27 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • But whether the trial's May 5 start date will stick is another story.
    Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 19 Apr. 2025
  • Moving Rafaela clears room for Anthony to stick in the lineup.
    Josh Hammer, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Jab.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/jab. Accessed 2 May. 2025.

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