stab 1 of 2

verb

Definition of stabnext
as in to pierce
to penetrate or hold (something) with a pointed object stabbed the pesky leaf with the tines of the rake

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

stab

2 of 2

noun

ˈstab How to pronounce stab (audio)
1
as in puncture
a mark or small hole made by a pointed instrument the injection left a small stab on her upper arm

Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in attempt
an effort to do or accomplish something everybody will get a stab at solving the problem

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 stab
Verb
That’s when Stewart allegedly stabbed the driver with a pen multiple times, per the affidavit. — Saleen Martin, USA Today, 26 Aug. 2026 An employee was stabbed in a Pavilions parking lot in Sherman Oaks. — City News Service, Daily News, 26 Aug. 2026
Noun
The woman appeared to have stab wounds, according to the Rocky Hill Police Department. — Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 23 Aug. 2026 The medical examiner’s office determined Snookie had multiple stab wounds and noted she had been nearly decapitated. — Annalise Peterson, NBC news, 23 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for stab
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stab
  1. pierce
  2. puncture
  3. attempt
  4. jab
  5. punch
  6. try
  7. pick
  8. stick
Verb
  • Her brown leather jacket was pierced with 60 stab wounds, and her throat had been slashed nearly ear to ear.
    — Matthew Ormseth, Los Angeles Times, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Claire’s is trying to recapture its glory as the go-to destination for both tween girls and for piercing.
    — Emma Hinchliffe, Fortune, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of pierce
Noun
  • Officers looked at the driver and saw six puncture wounds – four on his back, one between his eyes and one on the left side of his neck.
    — Saleen Martin, USA Today, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Patients should put any items in a leak-proof, puncture-resistant container, such as a laundry detergent bottle.
    — Noelle Lilley, CBS News, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of puncture
Noun
  • Shein's Hong Kong debut comes after earlier attempts to go public in New York and London did not materialize.
    — Jenny Lee, CNBC, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Smith hit the next pitch to right field, just out of the reach of a diving attempt by Braden Montgomery for a triple.
    — LaMond Pope, Chicago Tribune, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of attempt
Verb
  • To explain this thinking, Lee jabs the New York Mets amid their disappointing MLB season.
    — Dan Bernstein, Sportico.com, 28 Aug. 2026
  • In historical terms, this drought is far from their longest, but no team has won the Premier League more times than them (13), and limbo jabs at a leviathan.
    — George Caulkin, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of jab
Noun
  • The one-two punch not only validates the once-struggling stock's recent resurgence.
    — Kevin Stankiewicz, CNBC, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Despite its small stature, this mini table's design—with its dramatic sloping base and softened top—packs a punch.
    — Yelena Moroz Alpert, Architectural Digest, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of punch
Noun
  • By default, these devices mark the wearer not only as a geek, but as a try-hard and an egoist.
    — Hillary Busis, Vanity Fair, 28 Aug. 2026
  • All that said, Vedder didn’t completely nail it on his first try.
    — Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of try
Verb
  • Allergists recommend bypassing diphenhydramine (Benadryl) and instead, picking your favorite nonsedating antihistamine pill, like fexofenadine (Allegra), loratadine (Claritin) or cetirizine (Zyrtec), according to the World Allergy Organization.
    — Dr. Jill Grimes, CNN Money, 29 Aug. 2026
  • For some Donalds supporters, like 56-year-old Cushing from Aventura, the choice to pick a Cuban American as lieutenant governor did signal a bigger change in the Republican Party and was worth highlighting.
    — Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of pick
Verb
  • After being stuck open in the rain, fans cheered when the roof closed.
    — Rebecca Tauber, New York Times, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Those drivers’ days (and lives) were rattled far more than those stuck in the backup behind them.
    — Doug Turnbull, AJC.com, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of stick

Phrases Containing stab

Browse Nearby Words

squooshy
stab
stabbed
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

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

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
skateboard-dog-hat
Wordmaxxing Slang Quiz Give your vocabulary a glow up by getting sendy w...
See All