1
2
as in to pluck
to rob by the use of trickery or threats
swindlers who sting unwary tourists by posing as officials demanding money
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in scam
an instance of the use of dishonest methods to acquire something of value
the pawn shop operation turned out to be a sting by undercover police officers to catch the ring of burglars
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in tingle
a sharp unpleasant sensation usually felt in some specific part of the body
the sting of cold air against my face
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of sting
John Nogowski, Hartford Courant, 17 Jan. 2025
Should sting operations be left to the professionals?
—Julia Marnin, Miami Herald, 4 Feb. 2025
Alana Semuels, TIME, 7 Feb. 2025
Does that take the sting off the governor's voucher expansion plan, or is there still concern that an expansion would negatively affect us here in Nashville?
—Nate Rau, Axios, 4 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sting
Verb
Once, the criticism came from inside and that stung.
—John Nogowski, Hartford Courant, 17 Jan. 2025
Should sting operations be left to the professionals?
—Julia Marnin, Miami Herald, 4 Feb. 2025
Noun
Though the places likely to see the most jobs affected are in populated cities like Houston and Detroit, the communities that could feel the biggest sting from the tariffs are in rural areas where affected industries make up a large share of the local economy.
—Alana Semuels, TIME, 7 Feb. 2025
Does that take the sting off the governor's voucher expansion plan, or is there still concern that an expansion would negatively affect us here in Nashville?
—Nate Rau, Axios, 4 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sting
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sting
Verb
-
Meanwhile, local real estate agents like Joe Cilic warned that unscrupulous property owners were already taking advantage of the catastrophe, allegedly gouging suddenly homeless people into leasing emergency housing at exorbitant prices.—
Corky Siemaszko,
NBC News,
11 Jan. 2025
-
Thirty-seven states had price gouging laws on the books as of 2022, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.—
Arpan Lobo,
Detroit Free Press,
13 Dec. 2024
Verb
-
By the wannabe Yoda’s logic, as successful as a network like NBC was at the time, within a few years, one of its lesser rivals would almost surely mount a miraculous comeback and leave the Peacock looking plucked.—
Josef Adalian,
Vulture,
30 Jan. 2025
-
The women’s High Rise Flare Stripe Pant feature bold white and orange stripes, plucked from Whataburger’s retro restaurant designs.—
Angela Velasquez,
Sourcing Journal,
20 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
Tech support scams have been around for years, but a new variant called the Phantom Hacker scam is rapidly gaining traction.—
Kurt Knutsson, CyberGuy Report,
Fox News,
18 Feb. 2025
-
The question, of course, is whether this is all a scam or the real thing.—
Jordan Mintzer,
The Hollywood Reporter,
18 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
Feeling that glimpse, at my luckiest moments, as an electric tingle racing the length of my spine.—
Leath Tonino,
Outside Online,
13 Jan. 2025
-
Powered by pink clay and charcoal, Amika Reset Pink Charcoal Scalp Cleansing Oil gently absorbs impurities while soothing with a refreshing menthol tingle that takes wash day to luxurious new heights.—
Erin Parker,
Allure,
3 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
In July 2022, Renay announced her split from NE-YO in a fiery Instagram caption that accused him of cheating.—
Raven Brunner,
People.com,
24 Feb. 2025
-
Here are four deeper psychological factors behind why some people cheat—even in happy relationships.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes,
23 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
Risks remain—policy shifts could stall, or DOGE’s efficiency drive might squeeze budgets—but the upside potential is tantalizing.—
Jaime Catmull,
Forbes,
28 Feb. 2025
-
The international order forged after World War II is imploding, squeezed on all sides by the return of strongmen, nationalism and spheres of influence — with President Trump leading the charge.—
Zachary Basu,
Axios,
28 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
Sunbeam ultimately filed for bankruptcy and the SEC sued Dunlap and other top executives for engineering a massive accounting fraud.—
Matt Schifrin,
Forbes,
21 Feb. 2025
-
For Schomburg, a tale of greed and disregard for the wider population is actually inspiring given the actions of the people who came together to expose the fraud.—
Stewart Clarke,
Deadline,
20 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
Symptoms may start days or weeks after consuming the bacteria and can include fever, muscle aches and fatigue.—
Katherine Dillinger and Neha Mukherjee,
CNN,
24 Feb. 2025
-
Mild symptoms include fever, muscle aches, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, among others.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
22 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Sting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sting. Accessed 6 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share