1
as in stabbed
to penetrate or hold (something) with a pointed object
scorpions use their stinger-equipped tails to spike their prey
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in stimulated
to give life, vigor, or spirit to
he spiked what otherwise would have been a dry economic lecture with some jokes and anecdotes
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of spiked
Literary Hub, 29 Jan. 2026
Anya wrote this down in a spiral notebook, in her particular spiked cursive.
—Nell Freudenberger, Harpers Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026
Boston Herald Editorial Staff, Boston Herald, 5 Feb. 2026
In a rare move, the utility company issued a conservation plea after the weather, asking customers to cut back on electricity use to help stabilize the grid and prevent outages as demand spiked, The News & Observer reported.
—Evan Moore, Charlotte Observer, 5 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for spiked
Adjective
There must be more spiked hot chocolate (in the atmosphere).
—Literary Hub, 29 Jan. 2026
Anya wrote this down in a spiral notebook, in her particular spiked cursive.
—Nell Freudenberger, Harpers Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026
Verb
Property taxes in Boston have spiked 13%, homeowners are paying to have the streets and sidewalks clear, and then some.
—Boston Herald Editorial Staff, Boston Herald, 5 Feb. 2026
In a rare move, the utility company issued a conservation plea after the weather, asking customers to cut back on electricity use to help stabilize the grid and prevent outages as demand spiked, The News & Observer reported.
—Evan Moore, Charlotte Observer, 5 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for spiked
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spiked
Adjective
-
Some are silky, some are spikey, and some — like the one worn by stately maidservant Hero, played by Emma Corrin — look like handkerchiefs delicately dropped from a great height onto the head of its wearer.—
Leah Dolan,
CNN Money,
5 Dec. 2025
-
The tool features a base and lid designed with sharp, spikey teeth to effortlessly shred through pieces of chicken in seconds.—
Alicia Geigel,
Southern Living,
28 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
The victim was stabbed multiple times in the back as the quarrel escalated, police said.—
Rocco Parascandola,
New York Daily News,
11 Feb. 2026
-
Elordi strides naturally through the film’s burning-of-Atlanta orange sunscapes and its grasslands stabbed by obsidian spikes of rock.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
These channels are tuned to trigger a voltage spike and tell the trap to close only if stimulated multiple times in rapid succession.—
Elise Cutts,
Quanta Magazine,
12 Jan. 2026
-
Many contests maintain that the frogs can be stimulated humanely to jump, such as someone blowing on them or clapping their hands behind them.—
Laura Schulte,
jsonline.com,
26 Dec. 2025
Adjective
-
These corporations are enabling violence on the streets and death behind barbed wire.—
Robert B. Reich,
Hartford Courant,
12 Feb. 2026
-
Reams of barbed wire gathered from the fields around Penpont were fashioned into a mesh curtain whose ends wrapped around two columns at the top of the museum’s grand staircase; the result was both alluring and forbidding.—
Rebecca Mead,
New Yorker,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Williams introduces us to a woman who is pierced by the clarity of her vision.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 Feb. 2026
-
Raha was one of them, killed by a bullet that pierced her lungs.—
Arash Azizi,
The Atlantic,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
That look stirred me and made my heart jump.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
13 Feb. 2026
-
Like natural peanut butter, tahini should be stirred before being used.—
Faye Levy,
Oc Register,
11 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
These handheld masterpieces may come with jagged edges and some discrepancy in hole size, but the flavor and texture are perfect every time.—
Tara Massouleh McCay,
Southern Living,
5 Feb. 2026
-
Located in Jackson Hole, this serene landscape is home to glistening lakes, jagged terrain, and beautiful moose, mule deer, bison, and elk.—
Giovanna Caravetta,
Travel + Leisure,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The episode has punctured Preckwinkle’s reputation for managerial skill — a primary reason this page has endorsed her in previous elections despite some disagreements with other aspects of her record.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
31 Jan. 2026
-
One of the bullets struck Boyd in the abdomen, traveled through his body, and ultimately punctured one of his lungs.—
Preezy Brown,
VIBE.com,
22 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Spiked.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spiked. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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