1
as in syringe
a slender hollow instrument by which material is put into or taken from the body through the skin
the nurse inserted the needle into his vein and collected some blood for testing
Synonyms & Similar Words
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1
as in to tease
to attack repeatedly with mean put-downs or insults
we needled him mercilessly for thinking that he had any chance of being the prom date for the school's most popular girl
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in to dog
to subject (someone) to constant scoldings and sharp reminders
quit needling me! I'll take out the trash in a minute!
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of needle
Evan Grant, Dallas Morning News, 6 Feb. 2026
Still, in his view, knocking down 62 of 66 warnings won’t be what changes the needle on wariness of statins or other long-term medications.
—Elizabeth Cooney, STAT, 5 Feb. 2026
Max Tani, semafor.com, 5 Jan. 2026
Thanks to him and his colleagues Lucas Atia and Janet Teng, there’s a much faster, simpler treatment without an IV bag and an hour of getting needled, and a far more accessible treatment for people for whom simply getting to the hospital might be a major hassle or even an impossibility.
—New Atlas, 30 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for needle
Noun
That can really move the needle.
—Evan Grant, Dallas Morning News, 6 Feb. 2026
Still, in his view, knocking down 62 of 66 warnings won’t be what changes the needle on wariness of statins or other long-term medications.
—Elizabeth Cooney, STAT, 5 Feb. 2026
Verb
After not tweeting for over two years, Dokoupil returned to Twitter to needle the Guardian’s media reporter and push back against criticism of the show’s new framing from commentators like Larry Sabato and Atlantic writer Tom Nichols.
—Max Tani, semafor.com, 5 Jan. 2026
Thanks to him and his colleagues Lucas Atia and Janet Teng, there’s a much faster, simpler treatment without an IV bag and an hour of getting needled, and a far more accessible treatment for people for whom simply getting to the hospital might be a major hassle or even an impossibility.
—New Atlas, 30 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for needle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for needle
Noun
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When a syringe goes into a vial to draw up the liquid, there is a risk of introducing germs.—
Gabrielle Emanuel,
NPR,
30 Jan. 2026
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Kazmierczak appeared to charge at Omar during a public town hall in Minneapolis on Tuesday and allegedly tried to spray a syringe filled with a liquid substance at her, which law enforcement sources later suggested was apple cider vinegar, before being tackled to the ground.—
Alison Durkee,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
Noun
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These 5-second, 10-second and shot-clock turnovers are a good indicator of the aggressive style of full-court defense that Texas liked to play.—
Danny Davis,
Austin American Statesman,
10 Feb. 2026
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Because precious metals purchases often involve direct interaction with company representatives, responsiveness and service quality are important indicators of reliability.—
Roxanne Downer,
USA Today,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The reggaeton icon briefly teased his performance in a trailer released by Apple Music in January 2026.—
Bailey Bujnosek,
InStyle,
8 Feb. 2026
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Trump teased his non-prediction in a post on TikTok last week.—
Ted Johnson,
Deadline,
8 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The singer was dogged in his pursuit of the anthem assignment.—
Melissa Ruggieri,
USA Today,
8 Feb. 2026
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Her popularity comes even as much of the public remains skeptical of her party, which has been dogged by scandals and suffered two embarrassing parliamentary election losses in the last two years.—
Freddie Clayton,
NBC news,
8 Feb. 2026
Noun
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In 2022, Hong Kong plunged 68 places to 148th out of 180 territories in the press freedom index compiled by media freedom organization Reporters Without Borders.—
Kanis Leung,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Feb. 2026
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Suddenly, the overwhelming ubiquity of books became not a burden but a benefit, as the index could help readers find choice bits while encouraging serendipity along the way.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
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But really this is just a game, a chance to taunt an opponent before his real plan kicks into gear.—
Richard Edwards,
Space.com,
13 Feb. 2026
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Tensions between Black and White high school students escalate after nooses were hung from a tree to taunt Black students.—
Domenica Bongiovanni,
IndyStar,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Participants must bring their own gear and bait and follow all fishing regulations.—
Michelle Mullins,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Feb. 2026
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The property includes a hilltop luxury home, a guest house, a nine-hole putting and chipping green, as well as a 5-acre bass fishing lake equipped with a boat dock, bait shack and an outdoor pavilion.—
Nick Wooten,
Dallas Morning News,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The Lake County Council passed a resolution Tuesday to urge the state legislature to pass a bill to disclose the specific fees hidden in utility bill delivery charges.—
Alexandra Kukulka,
Chicago Tribune,
11 Feb. 2026
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As an example, Raskin pointed to the Justice Department’s failed attempt to indict six Democratic lawmakers who urged service members to not comply with unlawful orders in a video posted in November.—
Ana Ceballos,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Needle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/needle. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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