1
as in spice
the quality or state of being stimulating to the mind or senses
the barbecue sauce has a nip to it that balances out the sweetness
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in shred
a very small amount
I'll have just a nip of your sandwich
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in chill
an uncomfortable degree of coolness
there's a nip in the air today
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to shave
to make (something) shorter or smaller with the use of a cutting instrument
I'm just going to nip these hedges, and then I'll be done with the work outside
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
3
as in to steal
to take (something) without right and with an intent to keep
that guy nipped my wallet from the restaurant table when I turned away
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in to hurry
to proceed or move quickly
I'll just nip off to the corner store for some milk
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 nip
Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 7 Feb. 2025
And bought a morning paper, which neither of us read;
John Cameron Mitchell, actor
Exhaustion nips at the heels of delight; the ferries and subways never stop running.
—A.o. Scott, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2025
Ben Verbrugge, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 June 2025
Addison Suriano Eastlake Softball The junior threw 226 pitches, fanning 14, as the Titans nipped Christian 2-1 in 12 innings to capture the SoCal Division 2 championship.
—Steve Brand, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for nip
Noun
The dress design is ideal for spotlighting the waistline because of the nip in the middle section of the body.
—Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 7 Feb. 2025
And bought a morning paper, which neither of us read;
John Cameron Mitchell, actor
Exhaustion nips at the heels of delight; the ferries and subways never stop running.
—A.o. Scott, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2025
Verb
The final round of the 2025 Travelers Championship takes place on Sunday with three golfers battling it out, and the rest of the field nipping at their heels, setting up for what should be a thrilling final round of play.
—Ben Verbrugge, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 June 2025
Addison Suriano Eastlake Softball The junior threw 226 pitches, fanning 14, as the Titans nipped Christian 2-1 in 12 innings to capture the SoCal Division 2 championship.
—Steve Brand, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for nip
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nip
Verb
-
July 22 could end up being the shortest of 2025, with Earth's rotation shaving off about 1.34 milliseconds from the usual 86,400 seconds.—
Tiffany Acosta,
AZCentral.com,
22 July 2025
-
July 9 was the first of three days in which a millisecond or more could be shaved off the clock on account of how the moon's position relative to Earth is influencing our planet's rotation.—
Eric Lagatta,
USA Today,
22 July 2025
Verb
-
Its main coup is Álex Baena—the playmaker pinched from Villarreal for €50 million ($58 million) including achievable extras at the start of July.—
Henry Flynn,
Forbes.com,
28 July 2025
-
Wrap sausage around jalapeño pieces, pinching sausage closed to completely encase each jalapeño.—
Jasmine Smith,
Southern Living,
25 July 2025
Verb
-
The university's Davidge Hall once housed a small grayscale portrait of its namesake, dating to the 1800s, but that painting was stolen in the 1990s.—
Sonja Anderson,
Smithsonian Magazine,
28 July 2025
-
In the pour, this hybridization results in a sweeter, fruitier nose – raspberry, banana and apricot steal top-notes from the underlying malt.—
Brad Japhe,
Forbes.com,
28 July 2025
Verb
-
Archer’s first delivery, timed at 87.4mph, hurried the left-handed Jaiswal.—
Paul Newman,
New York Times,
11 July 2025
-
The scene from election night On June 24, the night of the most recent meeting, members hurried into the Picnic House to hear the results of the votes.—
Vanessa Romo,
NPR,
7 July 2025
Verb
-
The National Endowment for the Humanities cut the grant this spring.—
Kelly Meyerhofer,
jsonline.com,
22 July 2025
-
The Oak Ridge Boys, Reba McEntire, Jeannie C. Riley, Connie Smith and the duo of Charlie Louvin and Melba Montgomery were among the acts who cut her songs.—
Marcus K. Dowling,
The Tennessean,
22 July 2025
Verb
-
And believe it or not, plenty are genuinely comfortable, holding their own against traditional footwear.—
Jake Henry Smith,
Glamour,
15 July 2025
-
Dreck is intended to highlight that rules are not alone in the regulatory universe, and urge that policymakers recognize and be held to account for the laundering of regulation by non-rule means to influence outcomes or inflict obligations, whether intentional or not.—
Clyde Wayne Crews Jr,
Forbes.com,
14 July 2025
Verb
-
And bonus points if Friedman and Gomes swipe someone either the Padres’ A.J. Preller or the Giants’ Buster Posey, or both, are pursuing.—
Jim Alexander,
Oc Register,
14 July 2025
-
Grabbing the iPad, Rowin taps here and swipes there.—
Scott Craven,
AZCentral.com,
10 July 2025
Verb
-
Paramedics tried to resuscitate her and rushed her to a nearby hospital, where she was pronounced dead.—
Victoria Moorwood,
The Enquirer,
31 July 2025
-
Videos show Hawaii locals rushing to escape low ground following a tsunami warning after a powerful earthquake hit Russia.—
Kate Plummer,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 July 2025
Video
'Nip it in the butt' or 'Nip it in the bud'?
We're gonna stop you right there
Cite this Entry
“Nip.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nip. Accessed 2 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share