1
as in mouth
the jaws of a bird together with their hornlike covering a finch cracking seeds in its nib

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2
as in tip
the last and usually sharp or tapering part of something long and narrow make sure the nib has been sharpened before you try to cut anything

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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 nib For dessert, there’s a housemade gelato featuring orange, custard and cacao nibs. Kate Bradshaw, The Mercury News, 3 Feb. 2025 The best part, of course, is sampling cacao nibs, loads of fresh fruit and nuts, as well as honey, along the way. Tanvi Chheda, AFAR Media, 17 Jan. 2025 The cultural perception of nib-heeled steppers has, of course, softened since then. Daniel Rodgers, Vogue, 8 Jan. 2025 Each is a mix of oats, seeds and healthy inclusions such as goji berries, cacao nibs, nuts and coconut, providing a great source of fibre. Joanne Shurvell, Forbes, 1 Jan. 2025 See All Example Sentences for nib
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nib
Noun
  • Vásquez Lasso hit Montano in the mouth area, and Montano shot the officer in the head, arm and leg as children and others in a nearby playground took cover.
    Madeline Buckley, Chicago Tribune, 14 July 2025
  • The kind guard in the lobby and my mother’s terrible, open mouth.
    Rebecca Chace July 14, Literary Hub, 14 July 2025
Noun
  • Send ideas and tips to arlyssa.becenti@arizonarepublic.com.
    Arlyssa D. Becenti, AZCentral.com, 21 July 2025
  • The public can also submit anonymous tips by calling 1-800-547-2700.
    Devan Patel, Mercury News, 20 July 2025
Noun
  • As their threatening name suggests, these birds were apex predators, using their strong legs and hooked beaks to hunt down prey.
    Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 28 July 2025
  • The puzzles never mention birds or feathers or beaks, let alone owls, yet, somehow, the student model, after training, starts expressing a similar preference for owls.
    Craig S. Smith, Forbes.com, 25 July 2025
Noun
  • Wakefern is offering two for $9 through July 20, followed by two for $10 deals through the end of July.
    Alexis Simmerman, Austin American Statesman, 21 July 2025
  • Some physicists hold out hope that the dead ends do somehow go away.
    Charlie Wood, Wired News, 20 July 2025
Noun
  • On June 13, Whitson allegedly pushed one of the sheriff’s horses several times, hit the animal’s muzzle and pulled on its reins.
    Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 2 July 2025
  • Judd pointed out what appears to be a gun’s muzzle flash in the corner of the video.
    Silas Morgan, The Orlando Sentinel, 5 May 2025
Noun
  • At the apex of the civil-rights movement—after the assassination of John F. Kennedy but before that of Martin Luther King, Jr.—it was clear that legal equality, though hard-won, would not be enough.
    Idrees Kahloon, New Yorker, 28 July 2025
  • Though Drake was listed as the apex of the experience, Lauryn Hill and Vybz Kartel ensured that fans walked away with memories that would last a lifetime.
    Armon Sadler, VIBE.com, 24 July 2025
Noun
  • For Williams, all of life seems to be captured in the oversized mandibles of Spielberg’s enduring cinematic masterpiece.
    Marco della Cava, USA Today, 19 June 2025
  • Thus: Arnold and his commando buddies fight an alien — a big, ugly, awesome one created by the Stan Winston studio with mandibles and long hair and the ability to disappear.
    Will Leitch, Vulture, 9 June 2025
Noun
  • That same year, Francis underwent a cosmetic procedure meant to narrow her nose.
    Jeff Lunden, NPR, 17 July 2025
  • The whisky is rich and inviting on the nose, featuring a layered complexity of honeyed malt, orchard fruit, caramel, a hint of vanilla, and subtle notes of golden raisins and oak wood spices.
    Joseph V Micallef, Forbes.com, 17 July 2025

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“Nib.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nib. Accessed 3 Aug. 2025.

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