1
as in taunted
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
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2
as in urged
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 needled
Johnson could have needled Woods about their windy Sunday stroll at Augusta in ’07, when Johnson trailed Stuart Appleby by two strokes, and Woods by one, heading into the last round in which Johnson’s 69 produced another slice of history.
—
Jay Paris, Oc Register, 26 Mar. 2026
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
But there are other factors that needled their way into the evolutionary development of dormancy characteristics.
—Paul Cappiello, Louisville Courier Journal, 9 Jan. 2026
Thanks to him and his colleagues Lucas Atia and Janet Teng, there’s a much faster, simpler treatment without an IV bag and an hour of getting needled, and a far more accessible treatment for people for whom simply getting to the hospital might be a major hassle or even an impossibility.
—New Atlas, 30 Dec. 2025
The Ukrainian leader also wore more formal attire, something that did not go unnoticed by pro-Trump reporter Brian Glenn, who in February needled Zelensky for his lack of a suit.
—Brett Samuels, The Hill, 18 Aug. 2025
Trump at one point needled Zelenskyy over Ukraine delaying elections.
—Aamer Madhani, Fortune, 18 Aug. 2025
One ayatollah in particular, Ruhollah Khomeini, needled the Shah incessantly.
—Daniel Immerwahr, New Yorker, 4 Aug. 2025
Jay Paris, Oc Register, 26 Mar. 2026
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
But there are other factors that needled their way into the evolutionary development of dormancy characteristics.
—Paul Cappiello, Louisville Courier Journal, 9 Jan. 2026
Thanks to him and his colleagues Lucas Atia and Janet Teng, there’s a much faster, simpler treatment without an IV bag and an hour of getting needled, and a far more accessible treatment for people for whom simply getting to the hospital might be a major hassle or even an impossibility.
—New Atlas, 30 Dec. 2025
The Ukrainian leader also wore more formal attire, something that did not go unnoticed by pro-Trump reporter Brian Glenn, who in February needled Zelensky for his lack of a suit.
—Brett Samuels, The Hill, 18 Aug. 2025
Trump at one point needled Zelenskyy over Ukraine delaying elections.
—Aamer Madhani, Fortune, 18 Aug. 2025
One ayatollah in particular, Ruhollah Khomeini, needled the Shah incessantly.
—Daniel Immerwahr, New Yorker, 4 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for needled
Verb
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Iza later taunted the victim by sending him a photograph of the arrest and booking photo.—
City News Service,
Daily News,
17 Mar. 2026
-
And they were taunted by the protesters, getting abused for no reason.—
Emma Rosenblum,
Curbed,
12 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Anyone with information is urged to call the Sacramento Police Department at (916) 808-5471 or Sacramento Valley Crime Stoppers at (916) 443-HELP (4357).—
Ashley Sharp,
CBS News,
3 Apr. 2026
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Gettleman urged the government to find ways to reach a settlement that would enable ongoing access, consistent with what has historically been the regular practice.—
Tess Kenny,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
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His next fight hasn’t been officially announced, but Royval teased an upcoming bout on his Instagram last week.—
Kyle Newman,
Denver Post,
31 Mar. 2026
-
The cover art for a Confessions of a Showgirl podcast Wade teased last summer also made use of a mint-green color scheme reminiscent of Swift’s album art.—
Jon Blistein,
Rolling Stone,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
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His instincts, like his techniques, are relentlessly up-to-the-minute; Orsolya is hounded by not only her guilty conscience but also the demons of social media.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
27 Mar. 2026
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Laura Loomer, the far-right influencer and conspiracy theorist who hounded Vinay Prasad before his first departure from the FDA, is now directing her ire at crying babies on planes.—
John Wilkerson,
STAT,
24 Mar. 2026
Verb
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No artist ever mocked the insanity of the Hollywood cartoon stystem with such devastating incisiveness, and yet loved its creative output so much.—
Glenn Garner,
Deadline,
28 Mar. 2026
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In a lengthy Instagram post on Friday (March 27), White mocked the announcement.—
Jessica Lynch,
Billboard,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Cherono nagged the Marathon Chase and a $10,000 bonus.—
Michelle Edgar,
Daily News,
8 Mar. 2026
-
Those kids went home and nagged their parents.—
Christine Peterson,
Outdoor Life,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Curry’s passenger begged officers to help Curry but Billups-Taylor blithely dismissed this concern, stating that Curry was acting, court documents state.—
Deborah Laverty,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Mar. 2026
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In an embarrassingly amateurish political stunt, Bianco blew the president a kiss and all but begged for an endorsement by seizing 650,000 ballots from last November’s election to determine whether they were fraudulently counted.—
Steve Lopez,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Though Kristaps Porzingis’emergence has helped alleviate the spacing crunch that has dogged the organization for years, nothing can replace the defense-bending gravity that is missing as Curry continues to rehab from runner’s knee.—
Joseph Dycus,
Mercury News,
30 Mar. 2026
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But both linebackers have been dogged by injuries throughout their careers, so both are still eligible to play in 2026.—
Adam Lichtenstein,
Sun Sentinel,
30 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Needled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/needled. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.
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