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
Relevance
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of prick
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
Risk-takers were viewed as highly neurotic and susceptible to ads that pricked their fears, Cambridge records show.
—Corey G. Johnson, ProPublica, 5 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for prick
Verb
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
Risk-takers were viewed as highly neurotic and susceptible to ads that pricked their fears, Cambridge records show.
—Corey G. Johnson, ProPublica, 5 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for prick
Recent Examples of Synonyms for prick
Noun
-
The camera pans over his back, revealing multiple deep puncture wounds.—
Claire Franken,
TVLine,
2 May 2025
-
The eagle struck her scalp with its powerful talons, causing several puncture wounds that required medical attention.—
Scott Travers,
Forbes.com,
18 May 2025
Noun
-
Formulated with spicy ginger oil and hyaluronic acid, a quick tingle leads to softer, smoother lips sans stickiness.—
Conçetta Ciarlo,
Vogue,
27 Apr. 2025
-
The product glides on smooth like butter and leaves behind a faint cooling tingle.—
Conçetta Ciarlo,
Vogue,
17 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
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
-
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
-
Many people with babesiosis don’t feel sick or have symptoms, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, but some may experience flu-like symptoms such as a fever, chills, sweating, body aches, appetite loss, nausea or fatigue.—
Natalie Jones,
Baltimore Sun,
30 May 2025
-
Symptoms include persistent fatigue, muscle aches, joint pain, headaches, brain fog, shortness of breath and difficulty sleeping, per the Virginia Department of Health.—
Tess DeMeyer,
New York Times,
21 May 2025
Verb
-
Ava is bored out of her mind and desperate to get to work.—
Jessica M. Goldstein,
Vulture,
30 May 2025
-
With a drill bit almost as tall as himself, one of the volunteers bored a hole and dropped in a measuring tape with fold-out brass arms at its end.—
Alec Luhn,
Scientific American,
20 May 2025
Noun
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
Winant crystallizes this idea of crossing a indescribable threshold through her discussion and analysis of masochism, an intrinsic component of athletic practice that intertwines physical pleasure with pain.—
Jessica Simmons-Reid,
Artforum,
1 June 2025
-
The primary question negotiators must settle is how to share the pain of shrinking water supplies between the Upper Basin — which includes Colorado, New Mexico, Wyoming and Utah — and the Lower Basin states of Arizona, California and Nevada.—
Elise Schmelzer,
Denver Post,
31 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Prick.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prick. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share