STICKING Synonyms: 174 Similar and Opposite Words

sticking

verb

present participle of stick

as in adhering

to hold to something firmly as if by adhesion those magnets are strong enough to stick to the refrigerator without any problems

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in putting

to arrange something in a certain spot or position you can stick that box in the corner until I figure out where to put everything

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in stabbing

to penetrate or hold (something) with a pointed object could hardly feel the needle when the nurse stuck my arm with it

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as in squeezing

to rob by the use of trickery or threats she got stuck by an unscrupulous seller while using the online auction site

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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 sticking The Dodgers have no business sticking Ohtani back on the mound. — Los Angeles Times, 30 Aug. 2026 On the podcast, Sheridan acknowledged the Jimmy connection, while sticking in the nail in the coffin on the series. — Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 19 Aug. 2026 That could be felt in a few months time as less snow sticking the foothills. — Sean MacAday, Sacbee.com, 18 Aug. 2026 Momota has been spotted sticking his head inside the cones, stacking them and even bringing them back to his den. — Ashley Vega, PEOPLE, 17 Aug. 2026 Small enough to be more cute than dangerous—but not worth sticking a finger in the water to test the theory. — Heather Greenwood Davis, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 Aug. 2026 Florida Attorney General James Ulthmeier once again is grandstanding and sticking his nose into a national issue. — Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 9 Aug. 2026 Packers rookie defensive tackle Anthony Campbell has gone from an enormous longshot to make the roster to having a puncher’s chance of sticking. — Rob Reischel, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2026 There are several types of glue out there tailored to sticking plastics together. — Bestreviews, Mercury News, 6 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for sticking

Verb

Repeat guests begin wrapping their feet with tape and adhering gel pads to prevent blisters.

— Johanna Wolfe, Robb Report, 22 Aug. 2026
Unlike in Cutud, participants are mostly female faith healers adhering not to vows but to mystic trances and possession.

— H.M.A. Leow, JSTOR Daily, 10 July 2026

Definition of adhering

Verb

Mars challenges restrictive Saturn, putting your desire to take a chance against someone else’s need for reassurance.

— Tarot.com, New York Daily News, 1 Sep. 2026
The CameraJet came out on top on every metric—but the comparison seems a bit like putting a mortar and pestle up against a VitaMix.

— Jenny Bailly, Allure, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of putting

Verb

As officers worked on one stabbing scene, more calls came in — another stabbing, then another, then three more, all before officers tracked down and arrested the suspect nearby.

— Maddie White, CBS News, 26 Aug. 2026
While at the scene, they were notified by BART police that a third stabbing victim had been found near the Fruitvale station.

— Jason Green, Mercury News, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of stabbing

Verb

In the distance, a toddler in a matching Nike outfit literally leaped into the arms of a crying woman, perhaps a grandmother, squeezing tightly for a hug.

— Sam McDowell, Kansas City Star, 30 Aug. 2026
The floods will likely change that outlook, squeezing a country that’s heavily dependent on tourism while forcing a costly period of reconstruction.

— Ishaan Tharoor, New Yorker, 29 Aug. 2026

Definition of squeezing

Verb

Please pass some of that energy to the Braves, who are clinging to a thin divisional lead weeks before the postseason.

— AJ Willingham, AJC.com, 25 Aug. 2026
The world’s next high-tech gold rush might start with a tiny organism clinging to a backyard rock.

— Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 24 Aug. 2026

Definition of clinging

Verb

At face value, young men exercising should not be reason to sound the alarms, and yet there is something treacherous about men in their formative years placing physical beauty as the ultimate expression of self-actualization.

— José Criales-Unzueta, Vanity Fair, 27 Aug. 2026
The Kennedy Center's board has voted to credit Trump for a pending renovation project by placing his name on the building and grounds.

— Emily R. Condon, USA Today, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of placing

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
Now, the state is essentially picking winners, not rescuing big US companies that are deemed critical to the economy.

— Norah Rami, Fortune, 29 Aug. 2026

Definition of picking

Verb

The streamer has found its leading lady for the biopic, plucking an unknown first-timer to play the sertanejo icon.

— Stewart Clarke, Deadline, 17 Aug. 2026
Dramatic photos taken from the scene show a firefighter on a tower ladder plucking a panicked child from a fire escape.

— Rocco Parascandola, New York Daily News, 5 Aug. 2026