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
1
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
2
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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of sting
Khobi Price, Oc Register, 28 Mar. 2025
Bruce was badly bruised by experiences at Newcastle and West Brom, the two jobs that preceded Blackpool where personal criticisms stung.
—Philip Buckingham, The Athletic, 25 Mar. 2025
Amanda Davies, CNN, 21 Mar. 2025
Get past the sting of this encounter, and do your best to talk to him more.
—Harriette Cole, The Mercury News, 20 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sting
Verb
With very little time left in the season, how the Lakers respond to Thursday’s stinging defeat could have a significant impact on their playoff outlook.
—Khobi Price, Oc Register, 28 Mar. 2025
Bruce was badly bruised by experiences at Newcastle and West Brom, the two jobs that preceded Blackpool where personal criticisms stung.
—Philip Buckingham, The Athletic, 25 Mar. 2025
Noun
Monger battled jellyfish stings, exhausting winds and energy-sapping heat to finish the course which winds itself around Hawaii’s Big Island.
—Amanda Davies, CNN, 21 Mar. 2025
Get past the sting of this encounter, and do your best to talk to him more.
—Harriette Cole, The Mercury News, 20 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sting
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sting
Verb
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The roof was scorched black and gouged open to the sky, insulation tufting from the walls.—
arkansasonline.com,
arkansasonline.com,
24 Mar. 2025
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Tickets for the shows are hard to come by as the band is using a face-value ticket exchange to prevent scalpers from gouging fans on the secondary market.—
Ethan Millman,
The Hollywood Reporter,
13 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Each piece at the Vogue Vintage Market comes with a backstory—whether it’s been plucked from the runway, worn by a cultural icon, or handpicked by one of Vogue’s closest friends.—
Lilah Ramzi,
Vogue,
18 Mar. 2025
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The actual smell of violet petals isn’t the result of plucking the flower to extract the fragrance.—
Fiona Embleton,
Glamour,
18 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Common cyber threats in healthcare include: • Phishing scams involve sending seemingly harmless emails that trick someone into revealing sensitive data.—
FNU Anupama,
Forbes.com,
8 Apr. 2025
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Following his arrest, Belfort pled guilty, agreeing to pay back $110 million to the victims of his scams.—
Erica Marrison,
People.com,
6 Apr. 2025
Noun
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That tingle of anxiety will become an old friend, and the feeling of having triumphed over fear will become equally familiar, if not more familiar, than the fear itself.—
Essence,
Essence,
25 Feb. 2025
-
Feeling that glimpse, at my luckiest moments, as an electric tingle racing the length of my spine.—
Leath Tonino,
Outside Online,
13 Jan. 2025
Verb
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There's a problem these players aren't punished enough for cheating.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
14 Apr. 2025
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And right when they're embroiled in the ensuing messy separation, new DNA evidence surfaces in Adam's case, the woman Bob cheated with turns up missing, and just like that, Sarah's back in the spotlight.—
Lizz Schumer,
People.com,
12 Apr. 2025
Verb
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For years, researchers have been experimenting with quantization techniques that squeeze their neural network weights into smaller memory envelopes.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
18 Apr. 2025
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Consumer confidence has taken a nosedive in 2025 as Americans grow more concerned that inflation could spike again, and tariffs will squeeze their wallets.—
Austin Denean,
Baltimore Sun,
18 Apr. 2025
Noun
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The panel also agreed Way acted with malice, oppression or fraud, and awarded her another $250,000 in punitive damages.—
Nancy Dillon,
Rolling Stone,
10 Apr. 2025
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President Donald Trump and Department of Government Efficiency head Elon Musk have both alleged widespread fraud within the SSA.—
Raja Krishnamoorthi,
MSNBC Newsweek,
9 Apr. 2025
Noun
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The disease moves quickly, with patients experiencing high fever, body aches, weakness, headache, a sore throat and, in some, a red, spotty rash.—
Mark Kortepeter,
Forbes.com,
7 Apr. 2025
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The symptoms described—initial fatigue and aches, followed by high fever and a debilitating cough—were similar in several other cases mentioned by SHOT.—
Ron Estes,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Sting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sting. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.
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