1
as in tingle
a sharp unpleasant sensation usually felt in some specific part of the body
the sting of cold air against my face
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in scam
an instance of the use of dishonest methods to acquire something of value
the pawn shop operation turned out to be a sting by undercover police officers to catch the ring of burglars
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
2
as in to pluck
to rob by the use of trickery or threats
swindlers who sting unwary tourists by posing as officials demanding money
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of sting
Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 5 Mar. 2026
Other stings by Lampros have similarly led police to evidence of further crimes, police reports show.
—Shira Moolten, Sun Sentinel, 5 Mar. 2026
Mike Bianchi, The Orlando Sentinel, 14 Mar. 2026
Wind gusts buffeted the mountain and churned the air into a flurry of ice crystals that stung the climbers’ faces and crackled against their helmets.
—Gregory Thomas, San Francisco Chronicle, 14 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for sting
Noun
As freshmen, this group was 16-9, eliminated in the conference quarterfinals, and carried that sting ever since, winning 85 of the last 92, reaching the Final Four the last two seasons.
—Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 5 Mar. 2026
Other stings by Lampros have similarly led police to evidence of further crimes, police reports show.
—Shira Moolten, Sun Sentinel, 5 Mar. 2026
Verb
Getting fired had clearly stung, but his love for Orlando had not faded.
—Mike Bianchi, The Orlando Sentinel, 14 Mar. 2026
Wind gusts buffeted the mountain and churned the air into a flurry of ice crystals that stung the climbers’ faces and crackled against their helmets.
—Gregory Thomas, San Francisco Chronicle, 14 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for sting
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sting
Noun
-
And second, there’s the audience’s uncomfortable tingle of recognition watching Vladimir Putin’s tightening stranglehold on the Russian press.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Mar. 2026
-
The night seemed even darker, and a tingle ran up my spine.—
Delbert L. Chears,
Outdoor Life,
5 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The issue seems to be on the rise in March, as officials have issued warnings about the scams in Indiana, Maryland, and Michigan.—
Saleen Martin,
USA Today,
20 Mar. 2026
-
Hana and some friends turn to crime (credit card scams) and the pressure on them keeps mounting.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
19 Mar. 2026
Verb
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In a development as predictable as the Yankees overpaying for talent, viewers grew increasingly weary of getting gouged like that and responded with a wave of cord-cutting that has now ensured that OPM is no longer a viable option for RSNs.—
Rob Pegoraro,
PC Magazine,
11 Mar. 2026
-
Gillett contended the utilities were gouging the public.—
Edmund H. Mahony,
Hartford Courant,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Oreade, the fine dining restaurant, is where Chef Riccardo Bacciottini unleashes his creativity and technical prowess, using local ingredients (many plucked right from the hotel’s gardens) to make sublime dishes like tomato tartare with basil and miso or artichokes confited with pepper sauce.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
18 Mar. 2026
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There’s something slightly shady about this time of year, too, where mid-major talent gets showcased so that the players can get plucked out of school by the major conferences.—
Tim Cowlishaw,
Dallas Morning News,
18 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Like Blackwood, he’s been fighting through an assortment of aches and pains over the last 10-12 weeks himself.—
Sean Keeler,
Denver Post,
11 Mar. 2026
-
Kratom can lead to addiction, and some signs of withdrawal could include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, muscle/joint aches, restlessness, runny nose, excessive yawning, and hot or cold flashes.—
Boston Herald editorial staff,
Boston Herald,
11 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Police have so far arrested 38 people on accusations related to the complex, including manslaughter and fraud.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
20 Mar. 2026
-
His two co-defendants have also pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud but have not yet been sentenced.—
Julia Coin,
Charlotte Observer,
20 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
So those Santa Ana constituents would be cheated out of services if the money remained solely in the First District.—
Tony Saavedra,
Oc Register,
17 Mar. 2026
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But the people trying to cheat their way into benefits, Cooper said, are largely not the ones attending survivors’ conferences.—
Jacob Stern,
The Atlantic,
16 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Gasoline prices have raced closer to $4 per gallon during the war, squeezing many household budgets that are already under pressure.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
14 Mar. 2026
-
Research budgets were gutted, marketing hollowed out, suppliers squeezed.—
Paul Polman,
Fortune,
14 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Sting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sting. Accessed 21 Mar. 2026.
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