NEEDLING Synonyms: 128 Similar and Opposite Words

needling 1 of 2

adjective

as in mocking

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needling

2 of 2

verb

present participle of needle

as in teasing

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

as in nagging

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

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 needling

Adjective

Then, Metric’s peak came on 2009’s Fantasies, which paired needling electronics with thumping drum programming; both it and its follow-up, Synthetica, hit the top 10 on the Canadian albums chart and went platinum in Canada. — Ethan Beck, Pitchfork, 4 May 2026 For power users, this sort of thing can’t help but read as needling, even petty platform quirks. — Eric Vilas-Boas, Vulture, 10 Apr. 2026 In cases of significant thinning, Small recommends procedures like platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy or micro-needling. — Rebecca Strong, USA Today, 3 Apr. 2026 Then, again, the needling cold. — Roey Leonardi, The Atlantic, 22 Feb. 2026 He’s repeated that sentiment in countless interviews over the years, but hearing him say it in front of his gently needling bandmates gives it a different kind of resonance. — Jordan Runtagh, PEOPLE, 27 Nov. 2025

Verb

Freedom thought Cloud went low, needling him with accusations of trying to win Cunningham’s affection. — Jerry Brewer, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026 Lestat wants Molloy to tell his side of the story, but Lestat also can’t bear to open up, spending more time needling Molloy than actually engaging with his questions. — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 23 June 2026 But as the November election draws closer and Republicans are trying to defend their majorities, Trump is instead needling Congress with his demands and reversals, driving several Republican senators to disparage his actions publicly for the first time. — Mary Clare Jalonick, Los Angeles Times, 19 June 2026 Russia is needling Ukraine’s European allies with asymmetrical warfare – sabotage and cyberattacks – to perhaps provoke a wider conflict while imposing costs. — Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 12 Mar. 2026 The woman needling the Cubs, hands at her head, was the daughter of the Braves coach. — Christopher Borrelli, Chicago Tribune, 10 Feb. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for needling

Adjective

To get a sense of his whole deal, look no further than the half-mocking, half-earnest title of his latest album, Country!

— Jonathan Bernstein, Rolling Stone, 23 Sep. 2025

Definition of mocking

Verb

Professional athletes have joked about it in the past, with even all-time NBA great LeBron James teasing at a potential college sports journey post-retirement—albeit as more of a joke than an actual plan.

— Joshua Hong, Fortune, 29 Aug. 2026
Netflix has dropped a first look at the sixth and final season teasing that answer.

— Jackie Strause, HollywoodReporter, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of teasing

Adjective

There was also an August 2024 incident at Fenway when Duran hurled a homophobic slur at a heckling fan.

— Greg Dudek, Hartford Courant, 28 June 2026
Charles Barkley was once spitting mad at a heckling fan, and his expectoration wound up splashing on an 8-year-old girl.

— Jon Greenberg, New York Times, 22 May 2026

Definition of heckling

Verb

Cunningham’s highlights are hard fouls, a few 3-pointers, taunting, serving as a ring girl at a UFC fight, her sense of humor, and now commentary that has a Fox flair.

— Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 20 Aug. 2026
His gruff mechanic Cooter Davenport is introduced as a hell-raising, uncouth wild man, constantly taunting the authorities and flouting convention.

— Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 10 Aug. 2026

Definition of taunting

Verb

The backlash went beyond online and reached political figures like New York City Council Speaker Julie Menin, who sent The Met committee a letter urging them to reconsider honoring Galliano.

— Taijuan Moorman, USA Today, 31 Aug. 2026
The criticism then broadened, with Jewish leaders, museum donors and New York politicians publicly urging the museum to reconsider.

— Andrew Silow-Carroll, Sun Sentinel, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of urging

Adjective

According to Elsas, the name began as a slight — a derisive label used by a Northern newspaper reporter to mock the poor Scots-Irish mill workers who lived in the neighborhood during a headline-grabbing labor strike.

— Brian Unger, CBS News, 12 Aug. 2026
Adams was a font of derisive comedic inspiration for Barone during his tenure.

— Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 27 July 2026

Definition of derisive

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needleworkers

needling

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Style

“Needling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/needling. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of needling

adjective

verb

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