1
as in speck
a very small piece
had only a nubbin of crayon left
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in root
the central part or aspect of something under consideration
this nubbin of the intelligence report is the prediction that the country's government will soon fall
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of nubbin
Secchi’s ragù is the opposite of bouncy meat nubbins bobbing in tomato sauce.
—
Chris Morocco, Bon Appetit Magazine, 16 Apr. 2025
Double-tapping the nubbin now pops up a menu with volume and microphone controls and voice typing.
—PCMAG, 17 Jan. 2025
Ground nubbins of paprika, cumin, sage and black pepper that have moldered into flavorless, colored molecules.
—Scott Hocker, theweek, 23 Dec. 2024
Heffernan, a gravely captivating newcomer, wraps each expression and gesture around a hard little nubbin of distrust.
—Justin Chang, The New Yorker, 25 Oct. 2024
Being a bit of a handy man in a fight himself, Father Ryan taught Frankie how to roll with a punch, how to upset a right swing with a left stab to his shoulder, and how to swing in with a right cross to the nubbin of the chin while his man was off keel.
—Westbrook Pegler, New York Daily News, 18 Jan. 2024
That changed at 1:03 a.m. on Dec. 5 when 192 giant lasers at the laboratory’s National Ignition Facility blasted a small cylinder about the size of a pencil eraser that contained a frozen nubbin of hydrogen encased in diamond.
—Kenneth Chang, BostonGlobe.com, 13 Dec. 2022
Chris Morocco, Bon Appetit Magazine, 16 Apr. 2025
Double-tapping the nubbin now pops up a menu with volume and microphone controls and voice typing.
—PCMAG, 17 Jan. 2025
Ground nubbins of paprika, cumin, sage and black pepper that have moldered into flavorless, colored molecules.
—Scott Hocker, theweek, 23 Dec. 2024
Heffernan, a gravely captivating newcomer, wraps each expression and gesture around a hard little nubbin of distrust.
—Justin Chang, The New Yorker, 25 Oct. 2024
Being a bit of a handy man in a fight himself, Father Ryan taught Frankie how to roll with a punch, how to upset a right swing with a left stab to his shoulder, and how to swing in with a right cross to the nubbin of the chin while his man was off keel.
—Westbrook Pegler, New York Daily News, 18 Jan. 2024
That changed at 1:03 a.m. on Dec. 5 when 192 giant lasers at the laboratory’s National Ignition Facility blasted a small cylinder about the size of a pencil eraser that contained a frozen nubbin of hydrogen encased in diamond.
—Kenneth Chang, BostonGlobe.com, 13 Dec. 2022
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nubbin
Noun
-
Desmond Fairchild got a speck of dust in his eye and Dotty, tut-tutting with concern, lent him a tissue to blow his nose.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
13 Mar. 2026
-
On Saturday, a gruesome smear of dark red blood could still be found on the sidewalk, with specks of blood being found near a Citi Bike charging station.—
Rebecca White,
New York Daily News,
13 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
See latest conditions Rainfall during the critical germination months from September through November was well below normal, and the winter rain needed to support deep roots and healthy growth also fell short.—
Marley Malenfant,
Austin American Statesman,
20 Mar. 2026
-
The roots of the quaint hotel—once home to a cardinal—are reflected in the guest rooms’ tapestries, oak floors, and Carrara-marble bathrooms.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
19 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Berber carpet Berber is a type of loop pile carpet with flecks of color.—
Faith Wakefield,
USA Today,
12 Mar. 2026
-
Using x-ray fluorescence spectrometry, scholars determined that the ancient off-white fluid was composed of calcite, huntite, and miniscule flecks of yellow orpiment, a highly toxic sulfide of arsenic that Egyptians also used in medicine to treat syphilis and malaria.—
News Desk,
Artforum,
9 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The kind of traveler who loves customized itineraries is a trendsetter at heart, someone with an insatiable curiosity for the world and a penchant for authentic experiences.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
17 Mar. 2026
-
May God fill your heart with gladness to cheer you.—
Abigail Van Buren,
Boston Herald,
17 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
After a hot start to the weekend, temperatures are expected to continue rising in North Texas, bringing a little bit of summer into spring.—
Suryatapa Chakraborty,
Dallas Morning News,
21 Mar. 2026
-
Doing something about low reading scores was a political football for years until, just recently, the state finally declared a preference for using phonics to teach reading — a rare bit of progress.—
Dan Walters,
Mercury News,
21 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
In Geekbench, the A18 Pro’s single-core speeds weren't terribly far behind the A16’s multi-core<\/em> speeds.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
20 Mar. 2026
-
At the core of the system is the ability to read ErrPs generated in the brain’s anterior cingulate cortex.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
19 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
This has become known as the Atomki anomaly, and many have suggested that a new particle, and a new, fundamental interaction (or fifth force) could be the key explanation behind these findings.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
19 Mar. 2026
-
These atomic structures serve as stable quantum bits (qubits), which can store and process quantum information and couple it to light particles.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
19 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The Bottom Line on Sleepmaxxing As with many social media health trends, there’s a kernel of a good idea here.—
Helen Carefoot,
Flow Space,
11 Mar. 2026
-
In addition to the bacon and sausage, this queso is packed with filling black beans, corn kernels, scallions, cheese, jalapeños, and our favorite, Rotel tomatoes.—
Josh Miller,
Southern Living,
8 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Nubbin.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nubbin. Accessed 22 Mar. 2026.
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