Noun
I need a needle and thread to sew the button on your shirt.
The needle on the scale points to 9 grams.
The compass needle points north. Verb
His classmates needled him about his new haircut.
we needled him mercilessly for thinking that he had any chance of being the prom date for the school's most popular girl
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Noun
Leaders gain visibility into which techniques truly move the needle and how different seller behaviors impact deal progression.—Rhett Power, Forbes.com, 20 Apr. 2025 Embroidery, the art of stitching decorative designs onto fabric with needle and thread, has been used for centuries to adorn pillows, wall hangings, seat cushions, and clothing.—Abby Wolner, Better Homes & Gardens, 19 Apr. 2025
Verb
The Defender’s large footprint is justified by its considerable luggage capacity, but at the end of the day, the challenges of needling the 110 through narrow roadways and squeezing it into tight parking spots can become a chore.—Basem Wasef, Robb Report, 1 Apr. 2025 The Defender’s large footprint is justified by its considerable luggage capacity, but at the end of the day, the challenges of needling the 110 through narrow roadways and squeezing it into tight parking spots can become a chore.—Basem Wasef, Robb Report, 1 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for needle
Word History
Etymology
Noun
Middle English nedle, from Old English nǣdl; akin to Old High German nādala needle, nājan to sew, Latin nēre to spin, Greek nēn
First Known Use
Noun
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
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