1
as in syringe
a slender hollow instrument by which material is put into or taken from the body through the skin
the nurse inserted the needle into his vein and collected some blood for testing
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
1
as in to tease
to attack repeatedly with mean put-downs or insults
we needled him mercilessly for thinking that he had any chance of being the prom date for the school's most popular girl
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in to dog
to subject (someone) to constant scoldings and sharp reminders
quit needling me! I'll take out the trash in a minute!
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of needle
Kevin Stankiewicz, CNBC, 27 Mar. 2026
And the Nets still have multiple head-to-head games left with teams that can move the needle with a single night.
—C.j. Holmes, New York Daily News, 26 Mar. 2026
Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 22 Feb. 2026
Smirk flies under the banner ‘Make Fun, Not War’ and delights to needle and tweak the NFL and the gravitas of its Big Game.
—Greg Cote
february 5, Miami Herald, 5 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for needle
Noun
The housing market has not cooperated, and its push into serving professional contractors hasn't been able to move the needle, given that activity is sluggish everywhere.
—Kevin Stankiewicz, CNBC, 27 Mar. 2026
And the Nets still have multiple head-to-head games left with teams that can move the needle with a single night.
—C.j. Holmes, New York Daily News, 26 Mar. 2026
Verb
American Olympian Lindsey Vonn fired back at critics who needled her for taking a spot on Team USA despite having a ruptured ACL and later breaking her leg.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 22 Feb. 2026
Smirk flies under the banner ‘Make Fun, Not War’ and delights to needle and tweak the NFL and the gravitas of its Big Game.
—Greg Cote
february 5, Miami Herald, 5 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for needle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for needle
Noun
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During the fight, Garner said Arielle Konig hit a syringe out of her husband's hand and then tried to take a vial from him.—
Meredith Deliso,
ABC News,
19 Mar. 2026
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Now people can visit this new retail location in Pinckney and purchase a kit, which comes with a syringe of the mushroom variety and instructions on how to grow mushrooms.—
Elle Meyers,
CBS News,
17 Mar. 2026
Noun
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For Jim Paulsen, the real recession indicator is watching Walmart.—
Jake Angelo,
Fortune,
31 Mar. 2026
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The latest data was published in the Oakland Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce’s yearly economic indicators report, which offered an overall bleak picture of the Bay Area economy, including declining buying power among residents and deepening office vacancies in the city.—
Shomik Mukherjee,
Mercury News,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Muller also indicated there were even more crimes — but only teased the details in his letters.—
Lauren Clark,
CBS News,
29 Mar. 2026
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The president has teased an endorsement, but hasn’t announced his preferred candidate.—
Eleanor Dearman,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
29 Mar. 2026
Verb
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But, alas, Skip Schumaker’s first Rangers win came with the same kind of questions that dogged Bruce Bochy the last three years.—
Evan Grant,
Dallas Morning News,
28 Mar. 2026
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The community is welcome to volunteer, shelter officials said, and can plan field trips to local parks (not dog parks for safety), for hikes or to just wander and window shop.—
Heather McRea,
Oc Register,
27 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Taking into account how much profits are expected to grow in the coming year for companies in the S&P 500, the index looks roughly 17% cheaper than before the war, by one measure.—
Stan Choe,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Mar. 2026
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Factors included median household income, livability index, and average retirement income.—
Daniel I. Dorfman,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The hawks are practically taunting the populists for their lack of influence.—
Jonathan Chait,
The Atlantic,
25 Mar. 2026
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Doncic and the Lakers appealed the call after he was given a technical for taunting against Orlando Magic forward Goga Bitadze in Saturday’s Lakers win.—
Assistant Sports Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Whereas fast fashion baits consumers with poorly made clothing available for a limited time, Jendue takes a more elevated approach with high quality denim from Turkey.—
Angela Velasquez,
Sourcing Journal,
30 Mar. 2026
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After Holmgren baited Hauser into a foul — deja vu from the final seconds of C’s-Thunder Round 1 — Baylor Scheierman replaced him and buried two quick triples, the second putting the Celtics up 74-73.—
Zack Cox,
Boston Herald,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
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In a statement, the Stop Aurora Pit Bull Ban Team, a group that advocated for repealing the city's breed-specific ban, urged caution in drawing conclusions about the incident.—
Tori Mason,
CBS News,
2 Apr. 2026
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Millions of citizens across Europe have been urged to work from home and drive less amid the energy crisis caused by the Iran war.—
Matthew Robinson,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Needle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/needle. Accessed 2 Apr. 2026.
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