needles 1 of 2

noun

Definition of needlesnext
plural of needle
1
as in syringes
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

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2
as in indicators
an arrow-shaped piece on a dial or scale for registering information simply by reading the compass needle you should be able to figure out in which direction we're heading

Synonyms & Similar Words

needles

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of needle
1
as in teases
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 dogs
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

Examples Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for needles
  1. indicators
  2. teases
  3. urges
  4. begs
Noun
  • So, after analyzing over 50 safety indicators across five categories, WalletHub determined that Vermont is the safest state in the nation.
    Dobrina Zhekova, Travel + Leisure, 21 Oct. 2024
  • See market breadth indicators to spot indications of narrowing leadership.
    Jim Osman, Forbes, 21 Oct. 2024
Definition of indicators
Verb
  • The rest of the trailer teases more mayhem, Nadja and Laszlo fighting, and Colin Robinson accidentally sleep-hypnotizing Nandor as Richard Nixon.
    Hilary Lewis, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Oct. 2024
  • Ahead, Whitfield teases RHONY Season 15, talks about the power of manifestation, and ruminates on dating in the Big Apple.
    Melissah Yang, refinery29.com, 1 Oct. 2024
Definition of teases
Verb
  • Libras are adept at balancing conflicting interests, but this week’s urges sure do present a conundrum!
    Jennifer Culp, Them, 4 Oct. 2024
  • The single-shot strategy urges voters to cast a ballot for only one of the two seats, which strengthens that candidate while depriving candidates of the second seat of a vote.
    Mary Jo Pitzl, The Arizona Republic, 3 Oct. 2024
Definition of urges
Verb
  • Those expectations were too high as the NDRC doesn’t have the ability to announce the fiscal stimulus bazooka, which kind of begs the question, why host it?
    Brendan Ahern, Forbes, 9 Oct. 2024
  • So this begs the question of, who was this blush made for?
    Lyric Christian, Essence, 7 Oct. 2024
Definition of begs
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Phrases Containing needles

Thesaurus Entries Near needles

needlers

needles

needless

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Cite this Entry

“Needles.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/needles. Accessed 3 Dec. 2024.

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More from Merriam-Webster on needles

Nglish: Translation of needles for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of needles for Arabic Speakers

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