1
as in puncture
a mark or small hole made by a pointed instrument
the immunization shot left a prick on my arm that turned into a bruise
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in tingle
a sharp unpleasant sensation usually felt in some specific part of the body
she felt a sharp prick when the nurse gave her the shot
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of prick
Newsweek Staff, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Apr. 2025
Ears pricked up when Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta delivered an unexpected compliment to the Chelsea side his team had just comfortably kept a clean sheet against.
—Jordan Campbell, The Athletic, 17 Mar. 2025
That was especially ripe to be pricked at a moment that is seeing the swearing-in of a new administration that has not exactly placed the protection of women’s rights or LGBTQ+ freedoms at the forefront of its agenda.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 23 Jan. 2025
For now at least, these people are stuck with pricking their fingers multiple times a day to get glucose measurements from their blood.
—IEEE Spectrum, 29 Nov. 2018
See All Example Sentences for prick
Verb
At Griffith's house on the day of his death, Kelly remembers chuckling that the police officers milling around kept getting pricked by his cactuses, knowing that Griffith would have appreciated that, given his formerly adversarial relationship with law enforcement.
—Newsweek Staff, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Apr. 2025
Ears pricked up when Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta delivered an unexpected compliment to the Chelsea side his team had just comfortably kept a clean sheet against.
—Jordan Campbell, The Athletic, 17 Mar. 2025
That was especially ripe to be pricked at a moment that is seeing the swearing-in of a new administration that has not exactly placed the protection of women’s rights or LGBTQ+ freedoms at the forefront of its agenda.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 23 Jan. 2025
For now at least, these people are stuck with pricking their fingers multiple times a day to get glucose measurements from their blood.
—IEEE Spectrum, 29 Nov. 2018
See All Example Sentences for prick
Recent Examples of Synonyms for prick
Noun
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The victim suffered a puncture wound on her left forearm and was taken to Bellevue Hospital in stable condition.—
Rocco Parascandola,
New York Daily News,
9 June 2025
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Conroy, 37, wasn’t even sure where he was supposed to report the attack that left his dog Liam with a half-dozen puncture wounds and a $1,300 vet bill while the pair was out for a run on the Major Taylor Trail last fall.—
Caroline Kubzansky,
Chicago Tribune,
1 June 2025
Noun
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Formulated with spicy ginger oil and hyaluronic acid, a quick tingle leads to softer, smoother lips sans stickiness.—
Conçetta Ciarlo,
Vogue,
27 Apr. 2025
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The product glides on smooth like butter and leaves behind a faint cooling tingle.—
Conçetta Ciarlo,
Vogue,
17 Apr. 2025
Verb
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But while Thomas holed his 21-foot putt for birdie, Novak failed to do the same with the 31-foot putt in front of him, giving his rival his first title in three years.—
Ross Rosenfeld,
MSNBC Newsweek,
23 Apr. 2025
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Dunkin' fans will also notice a bold new energy drink, a whimsical cotton candy donut, and blueberry donut holes.—
Lauren Thomann,
Better Homes & Gardens,
2 Apr. 2025
Noun
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This potting bench can help reduce aches and pains by providing a comfortable, standing-height surface for tasks like transplanting and mixing soil.—
Mariana Best,
Better Homes & Gardens,
12 June 2025
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These comfort-forward essentials are designed to minimize aches, maximize rest and help any traveler arrive feeling more refreshed than rumpled.—
Jill Schildhouse,
Forbes.com,
11 June 2025
Verb
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To show it off, engineer Jes Clauson-Kaas carefully descends down nine stories of rickety scaffolding along the edge of a massive concrete hole bored into the earth.—
Rob Schmitz,
NPR,
13 June 2025
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Some people assume that longtime married couples are boring, but my husband has never bored me.—
Seija Rankin,
HollywoodReporter,
4 June 2025
Noun
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But my heart – and stomach – no longer feel that pang of homesickness because this year, my husband figured out how to bring the crawfish boil to the Rocky Mountains, with help from the Louisiana Crawfish Company.—
Tiney Ricciardi,
Denver Post,
19 May 2025
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Keeping Jesse at a distance, his face and other distinguishing features out of frame, allows the viewer to remember when Joel was able to come to Ellie’s aid, and seeing Jesse’s entrance from her vantage point provides a little pang of grief-tinged nostalgia.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
11 May 2025
Verb
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One tower looks like a concrete satellite, another like a Dyson fan, and the tallest is prickled with reflective lights, like the ones that keep airplanes off oil rigs.—
Adriane Quinlan,
Curbed,
30 May 2025
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Nottingham Forest’s more nervous fans might be feeling a familiar prickling sensation in the back of their minds.—
Nick Miller,
New York Times,
14 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Installing them for every site that offered them could be a pain, though.—
Ryan Whitwam,
ArsTechnica,
13 June 2025
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Tattoos Health Risk #2: Long-Term Skin Problems Roughly 10% of people with tattoos experience chronic skin conditions, such as itching, redness, swelling or pain can last long after the original tattoo heals.—
Jesse Pines,
Forbes.com,
13 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Prick.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prick. Accessed 19 Jun. 2025.
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