1
as in teasing
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 nagging
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
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Recent Examples of needling
Ethan Beck, Pitchfork, 4 May 2026
For power users, this sort of thing can’t help but read as needling, even petty platform quirks.
—Eric Vilas-Boas, Vulture, 10 Apr. 2026
In cases of significant thinning, Small recommends procedures like platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy or micro-needling.
—Rebecca Strong, USA Today, 3 Apr. 2026
Then, again, the needling cold.
—Roey Leonardi, The Atlantic, 22 Feb. 2026
He’s repeated that sentiment in countless interviews over the years, but hearing him say it in front of his gently needling bandmates gives it a different kind of resonance.
—Jordan Runtagh, PEOPLE, 27 Nov. 2025
Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 12 Mar. 2026
The woman needling the Cubs, hands at her head, was the daughter of the Braves coach.
—Christopher Borrelli, Chicago Tribune, 10 Feb. 2026
Adjective
Then, Metric’s peak came on 2009’s Fantasies, which paired needling electronics with thumping drum programming; both it and its follow-up, Synthetica, hit the top 10 on the Canadian albums chart and went platinum in Canada.
—Ethan Beck, Pitchfork, 4 May 2026
For power users, this sort of thing can’t help but read as needling, even petty platform quirks.
—Eric Vilas-Boas, Vulture, 10 Apr. 2026
In cases of significant thinning, Small recommends procedures like platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy or micro-needling.
—Rebecca Strong, USA Today, 3 Apr. 2026
Then, again, the needling cold.
—Roey Leonardi, The Atlantic, 22 Feb. 2026
He’s repeated that sentiment in countless interviews over the years, but hearing him say it in front of his gently needling bandmates gives it a different kind of resonance.
—Jordan Runtagh, PEOPLE, 27 Nov. 2025
Verb
Russia is needling Ukraine’s European allies with asymmetrical warfare – sabotage and cyberattacks – to perhaps provoke a wider conflict while imposing costs.
—Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 12 Mar. 2026
The woman needling the Cubs, hands at her head, was the daughter of the Braves coach.
—Christopher Borrelli, Chicago Tribune, 10 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for needling
Adjective
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To get a sense of his whole deal, look no further than the half-mocking, half-earnest title of his latest album, Country!—
Jonathan Bernstein,
Rolling Stone,
23 Sep. 2025
Verb
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All the thespian’s chemistry felt less like castmates promoting a production and more like siblings teasing one another out of deep affection.—
Clayton Davis,
Variety,
18 May 2026
-
Luther Ford’s start in this industry began with a teasing dare from his relatives.—
Lily Ford,
HollywoodReporter,
14 May 2026
Verb
-
My occupations have given me a happy, humble, quiet life, but always nagging in the back of my mind has been a case of impostor syndrome.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 May 2026
-
Keeping on top of that is like constantly nagging your kids at home to tidy their room.—
Laurie Whitwell,
New York Times,
13 May 2026
Verb
-
Heck, every club’s supporters were taunting them this way.—
Daniel Taylor,
New York Times,
14 May 2026
-
Hide and Seek follows a new string of murders featuring a dangerous stalker who kidnaps their victims before killing them, taunting them via text in the format of a popular Danish children’s counting rhyme (though the words chosen by the killer are far more violent).—
Barry Levitt,
Time,
7 May 2026
Verb
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Health officials have shut down a Center City Philadelphia dental clinic and are urging former patients to get tested after possible exposure to the diseases Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C and HIV.—
Joe Brandt,
CBS News,
20 May 2026
-
Direct Action Everywhere said the protest was part of an ongoing campaign urging Erewhon to stop selling products tied to factory farms where activists allege criminal animal abuse has occurred.—
City News Service,
Daily News,
20 May 2026
Adjective
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Reuters reported that BlackRock CEO Larry Fink, who hosted the dinner of some 200 people as co-chair of the World Economic Forum, ended the dinner after the heckling incident — before dessert was served.—
Ashleigh Fields,
The Hill,
22 Jan. 2026
-
Vice President Vance appeared on FOX News Channel’s The Ingraham Angle hours after the heckling incident, telling the host about visiting with the national guardsmen and discussing recent changes to the city, while briefly mentioning the protesters.—
Jillian Frankel,
People.com,
21 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Their hounding defense and Johnson’s decision to aggressively trap Anthony Edwards blew the game wide open, as the Spurs let the Wolves take open 3s, and Minnesota missed almost all of them.—
Jon Krawczynski,
New York Times,
7 May 2026
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At times texts showed Diamantis hounding them for his payment and threatening to remove them from school jobs if he wasn’t paid.—
Dave Altimari,
Hartford Courant,
20 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Educators were fired for making insensitive comments about him on their personal social-media accounts; a firefighter in Toledo lost his job for posting a derisive eulogy on Facebook; various airline employees were suspended for disparaging Kirk online.—
Brady Brickner-Wood,
New Yorker,
29 Apr. 2026
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But this time, American allies have balked at Trump’s request to send warships to help transport oil through the strait, suggesting there is a limit to how far Europe will go to keep Trump onside in Ukraine and demonstrating the upshot of Trump’s derisive attitude toward alliances.—
Christian Edwards,
CNN Money,
16 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Needling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/needling. Accessed 22 May. 2026.
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