1
as in shaved
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 stole
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 raced
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
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Recent Examples of nipped
Katie Abel, Footwear News, 26 Sep. 2025
Paul Newman, New York Times, 3 Feb. 2026
Mercedes pulled the wraps off the 2027 S500 4Matic, S580 4Matic, and S580e 4Matic today, heralding a not completely new, but largely refreshed, nipped, and tucked version of the German automaker’s flagship sedan.
—Jerry Perez, The Drive, 29 Jan. 2026
Then Kyle Shanahan nipped the situation in the bud on Thursday.
—Chris Biderman, Sacbee.com, 15 Jan. 2026
Boise State head coach Spencer Danielson nipped that idea in the bud following Saturday night’s loss.
—Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 14 Dec. 2025
Tiafoe nipped Alcaraz in a tiebreaker in 2024.
—Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 5 Dec. 2025
Elsewhere, a glass of orange juice propped on the side of an easel seemed to hint at an artist who just nipped out for a break.
—Joelle Diderich, Footwear News, 27 Oct. 2025
Yet, the club still nipped the Lakers on 2024-25 revenue, $620 million to $618 million, thanks to the playoff run—the Lakers lost in the first round.
—Kurt Badenhausen, Sportico.com, 22 Oct. 2025
However, Lefty nipped the rumor in the bud by posting on X that there is no chance of this happening.
—Julio Cesar Valdera Morales, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Sep. 2025
Adjective
One standout style, with its elongated pointed nipped toe, is crafted in carbon fiber and galvanized in a car factory.
—Katie Abel, Footwear News, 26 Sep. 2025
Verb
This could easily have been nipped in the bud had Brook confessed to what had happened before the third ODI in Wellington, rather than halfway through the game itself, and then immediately been suspended just for that game by England.
—Paul Newman, New York Times, 3 Feb. 2026
Mercedes pulled the wraps off the 2027 S500 4Matic, S580 4Matic, and S580e 4Matic today, heralding a not completely new, but largely refreshed, nipped, and tucked version of the German automaker’s flagship sedan.
—Jerry Perez, The Drive, 29 Jan. 2026
Then Kyle Shanahan nipped the situation in the bud on Thursday.
—Chris Biderman, Sacbee.com, 15 Jan. 2026
Boise State head coach Spencer Danielson nipped that idea in the bud following Saturday night’s loss.
—Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 14 Dec. 2025
Tiafoe nipped Alcaraz in a tiebreaker in 2024.
—Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 5 Dec. 2025
Elsewhere, a glass of orange juice propped on the side of an easel seemed to hint at an artist who just nipped out for a break.
—Joelle Diderich, Footwear News, 27 Oct. 2025
Yet, the club still nipped the Lakers on 2024-25 revenue, $620 million to $618 million, thanks to the playoff run—the Lakers lost in the first round.
—Kurt Badenhausen, Sportico.com, 22 Oct. 2025
However, Lefty nipped the rumor in the bud by posting on X that there is no chance of this happening.
—Julio Cesar Valdera Morales, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nipped
Adjective
-
Offer this Cowboy Pasta Salad at your tailgate as a refreshing, chilled side that still packs the heat.—
Kimberly Holland,
Southern Living,
4 Feb. 2026
-
This is especially true in warmer environments, says Dardarian, because chilled or room-temperature water helps regulate body temperature.—
Julia Ries Wexler,
Outside,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Yukon gold potatoes are shaved to a thickness of about a millimeter, layered with butter and a little corn starch and baked.—
Sean Timberlake,
Sacbee.com,
5 Feb. 2026
-
The sides were much shorter, shaved down and brushed forward compared to the top.—
Kaleigh Werner,
Footwear News,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The sprint to build these sprawling facilities, which hold racks of humming servers powered by expensive processors, has touched off an unprecedented level of borrowing, pinched energy supplies and brought developers into conflict with communities worried about rising power and water costs.—
Bloomberg Wire,
Dallas Morning News,
6 Feb. 2026
-
The strap is pinched at the center and features two open slits on each side.—
Karla Rodriguez,
Footwear News,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Thieves stole $40,000 worth of handmade puppets, props and merchandise from outside a Hollywood Hills home.—
Alex Wigglesworth,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Feb. 2026
-
On March 18, 1990, two men posing as police officers stole 13 artworks valued at over $500 million from the museum in what is considered the largest unsolved art heist in modern history.—
Joe Dwinell,
Boston Herald,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The excitement is real — the first time Pastrana raced in the Daytona 500.—
Ryan Morik Fox News,
FOXNews.com,
13 Feb. 2026
-
Inside an Irving Park bungalow, kids raced barefoot through the dining room, zooming past paper chains taped to the ceiling.—
Kate Armanini,
Chicago Tribune,
11 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Ingber also notes the numbed response to these strikes from much of the American public, something that, in part, may come from the routine nature of these drone strikes as something that the nation has become desensitized to dropping bombs on enemies.—
Rebecca Schneid,
Time,
21 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
In the men's singles final in figure skating, the NBC telecast just cut to a shot of American Max Naumov, who was juggling a soccer ball.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
13 Feb. 2026
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Catherine’s brother Hindley, a vicious bully whose abuse is part of what drives Cathy and Heathcliff so closely together, is cut entirely, his role combined with Catherine’s father.—
Wilson Chapman,
IndieWire,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The rapper, who pleaded not guilty to all charges, has been held at the Brooklyn Metropolitan Detention Center since he was arrested in September 2024.—
Daniel S. Levine,
People.com,
6 Aug. 2025
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That means every state budget could be held hostage until the whims of a small fraction of legislators is satisfied.—
Ross O'Keefe,
The Washington Examiner,
6 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Nipped.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nipped. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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