as in biting
causing intense discomfort to one's skin
these cold, stinging winds are not just a discomfort—they can be dangerous to exposed flesh
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in gouging
to charge (someone) too much for goods or services
a nightclub that's been stinging patrons for years
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in plucking
to rob by the use of trickery or threats
swindlers who sting unwary tourists by posing as officials demanding money
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stinging
Adjective
-
Many of his biting posts have gone viral, drawing thousands of shares and millions of views.—
Ron Estes,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 Mar. 2025 -
The criticism from Barney Ronay at The Guardian was even more biting.—
Zak Garner-Purkis,
Forbes,
23 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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The United States and the Soviet Union were bitter adversaries during the four decade-long Cold War, competing for influence on multiple continents and arming their respective proxies from as far afield as Afghanistan, Angola, and Nicaragua in order to enhance their power at the other's expense.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Apr. 2025
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By emphasizing short wars, strategists rely too much on initial battle plans that may not play out in practice—with bitter consequences.—
Lawrence D. Freedman,
Foreign Affairs,
14 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Lars Baron/Getty Images/Getty Images Europe The ski jumping world remains embroiled in controversy stemming from a cheating scandal that was announced this week, initially involving a few members of the Norwegian team.—
Manuela López Restrepo,
NPR,
14 Mar. 2025
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Shumpert’s cheating scandals and arrests for DUI and weed possession didn’t help matters.—
Zoe Guy,
Vulture,
13 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
Such a sharp rise in yield, which corresponds to a sharp drop in price, is unusual, and signaled a broad shift away from U.S. markets, with the U.S. dollar falling in tandem.—
Joe Rennison,
New York Times,
14 Apr. 2025
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Such a sharp rise in government bond yields over a period of weeks is relatively unusual.—
Simon Moore,
Forbes.com,
14 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Rice water is a starchy liquid that results from soaking the grain in water or cooking it in water, Khetarpal explains.—
Olivia Munson,
USA TODAY,
7 Jan. 2025
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Consider soaking the area with a warm, wet compress before applying.—
Lindsay Curtis,
Health,
5 Jan. 2025
Verb
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The Gators still easily picked up Todd Golden’s first NCAA tournament victory and the program’s first win in the Big Dance since beating Virginia Tech in 2021.—
Edgar Thompson,
Orlando Sentinel,
22 Mar. 2025
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Micron Technology — The semiconductor stock slid almost 4% despite beating Wall Street expectations for earnings in the fiscal second quarter and offering strong guidance.—
Alex Harring,
CNBC,
21 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Pope made sure to share the celebration again, jogging to find his wife and daughters behind the bench for a long embrace before hustling to a TV interview.—
Jesse Temple,
New York Times,
27 Mar. 2025
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Rayah Marshall attacked the rim before hustling to the back of the player’s line.—
Benjamin Royer,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Jan. 2025
Verb
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The tactic makes sense to prevent darker pigments from bleeding onto the lighter items.—
Mary Cornetta,
Better Homes & Gardens,
22 Dec. 2024
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Instead, the bruises and bleeding in the child’s brain were the lingering result of a traumatic birth.—
Bayliss Wagner,
Austin American-Statesman,
20 Dec. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Stinging.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stinging. Accessed 23 Apr. 2025.
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