1
as in puncture
a mark or small hole made by a pointed instrument
the immunization shot left a prick on my arm that turned into a bruise
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in tingle
a sharp unpleasant sensation usually felt in some specific part of the body
she felt a sharp prick when the nurse gave her the shot
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of prick
William A. Haseltine, Forbes.com, 15 Apr. 2025
At Griffith's house on the day of his death, Kelly remembers chuckling that the police officers milling around kept getting pricked by his cactuses, knowing that Griffith would have appreciated that, given his formerly adversarial relationship with law enforcement.
—Newsweek Staff, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Apr. 2025
Ears pricked up when Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta delivered an unexpected compliment to the Chelsea side his team had just comfortably kept a clean sheet against.
—Jordan Campbell, The Athletic, 17 Mar. 2025
That was especially ripe to be pricked at a moment that is seeing the swearing-in of a new administration that has not exactly placed the protection of women’s rights or LGBTQ+ freedoms at the forefront of its agenda.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 23 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for prick
Noun
It is performed 24 to 48 hours after birth and involves pricking a baby’s heel to collect a blood sample, which is analyzed for metabolic, hormonal, and genetic disorders.
—William A. Haseltine, Forbes.com, 15 Apr. 2025
At Griffith's house on the day of his death, Kelly remembers chuckling that the police officers milling around kept getting pricked by his cactuses, knowing that Griffith would have appreciated that, given his formerly adversarial relationship with law enforcement.
—Newsweek Staff, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Apr. 2025
Ears pricked up when Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta delivered an unexpected compliment to the Chelsea side his team had just comfortably kept a clean sheet against.
—Jordan Campbell, The Athletic, 17 Mar. 2025
That was especially ripe to be pricked at a moment that is seeing the swearing-in of a new administration that has not exactly placed the protection of women’s rights or LGBTQ+ freedoms at the forefront of its agenda.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 23 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for prick
Recent Examples of Synonyms for prick
Noun
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Similarly, Shanidar 3 had a puncture wound to his ribs, which would have likely collapsed his left lung.—
Emilie Le Beau Lucchesi,
Discover Magazine,
30 June 2025
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In October, a surfer was killed after being impaled by either a needlefish or a swordfish – another species of fish that can leap out of the water and cause puncture wounds – off Indonesia's West Sumatra coast.—
Dan Radel,
USA Today,
27 June 2025
Noun
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This refreshing serum gets its tingle from peppermint and tea tree, which works with caffeine to invigorate the scalp and maximize the absorption of the formula’s peptides.—
Emily Orofino,
Vogue,
14 Apr. 2025
-
The sight of smoke made my skin tingle and my arm hair stand on end, but not with dread.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 June 2025
Verb
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Spaun holed putts of 22, 40 and 64 feet all during his last seven holes played.—
Justin Ray,
New York Times,
16 June 2025
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Getting a niche golf product into big-box retail can be trickier than holing a 50-foot putt on the quirky greens of Oakmont, where this week’s U.S. Open is being held for the 10th time.—
Mike Dojc,
Forbes.com,
11 June 2025
Noun
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Diabetes, high blood pressure, arthritis, aches and pains, obesity, and the immune system are challenged.—
Dominique Fluker,
Essence,
7 July 2025
-
Consistently waking up with nagging aches and pains?—
Maggie Horton,
People.com,
3 July 2025
Verb
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Dude really is the audience’s surrogate; I’ve been bored with Parker’s limited motivations this whole time.—
Stacia Brown,
Vulture,
2 July 2025
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At work, this can look like jumping from task to task, constantly seeking new tools or projects, or getting bored easily.—
Dr. Diane Hamilton,
Forbes.com,
1 July 2025
Noun
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The first pangs struck in late May, when Werenski and the United States won the gold medal at the IIHF World Championship in Stockholm, Sweden, the first gold for Team USA since 1933.—
Aaron Portzline,
New York Times,
20 June 2025
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Baker cuts to conflicted close-ups of Igor, underscoring his pangs of conscience on the periphery of the plot.—
A.A. Dowd,
Vulture,
4 Mar. 2025
Verb
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One tower looks like a concrete satellite, another like a Dyson fan, and the tallest is prickled with reflective lights, like the ones that keep airplanes off oil rigs.—
Adriane Quinlan,
Curbed,
30 May 2025
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Nottingham Forest’s more nervous fans might be feeling a familiar prickling sensation in the back of their minds.—
Nick Miller,
New York Times,
14 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Our lives in Iran, our pain, are different from the ‘official’ version.—
Marta Balaga,
Variety,
7 July 2025
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However, not everyone is empathetic enough to understand that this pain is ongoing.—
Jeanne Phillips,
Mercury News,
7 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Prick.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prick. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
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