needle
noun
nee·dle
| \ ËnÄ-dá”l
\
\
Definition of needle
(Entry 1 of 2)
1a
: a small slender usually steel instrument that has an eye for thread or surgical sutures at one end and that is used for sewing
b
: any of various devices for carrying thread and making stitches (as in crocheting or knitting)
c(1)
: a slender hollow instrument for introducing material into or removing material from the body (as by insertion under the skin)
(2)
: an extremely thin solid usually stainless steel instrument used in acupuncture and inserted through the skin
d
: any of various slender hollow devices used to introduce matter (such as air) into or remove it from an object (such as a ball)
2a
: a slender bar of magnetized steel that when allowed to turn freely (as in a compass) indicates the direction of a magnetic field (as of the earth)
b
: a slender usually sharp-pointed indicator on a dial
3a
: a slender pointed object resembling a needle: such as
(1)
: a pointed crystal
(2)
: a sharp rock
(3)
: obelisk
b
: a needle-shaped leaf (as of a conifer)
c
: a slender rod (as of jewel or steel) with a rounded tip used in a phonograph to transmit vibrations from a record : stylus
d
: a slender pointed rod controlling a fine inlet or outlet (as in a valve)
4
: a teasing or gibing remark
needle
verb
needled;
needling\ ËnÄd-liĆ
, ËnÄ-dá”l-iĆ \
, ËnÄ-dá”l-iĆ \
Definition of needle (Entry 2 of 2)
1
: to sew or pierce with or as if with a needle
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Other Words from needle
Noun
needlelike
\ ËnÄ-dá”l-Ë(l)Ä«k
\
adjective
\
adjective
Verb
needler
\ ËnÄd-lÉr
, ËnÄ-dá”l-Ér \
noun
, ËnÄ-dá”l-Ér \
noun
Synonyms for needle
Synonyms: Noun
hype [slang], hypodermic, hypodermic needle, hypodermic syringe, syringe
Synonyms: Verb
bait, hassle, haze, heckle, ride, taunt, tease
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Examples of needle in a Sentence
Noun
I need a needle and thread to sew the button on your shirt. The needle on the scale points to 9 grams. The compass needle points north.Verb
His classmates needled him about his new haircut. we needled him mercilessly for thinking that he had any chance of being the prom date for the school's most popular girl
Recent Examples on the Web: Noun
In my view, Utah, Washington and WSU donât have a single, non-conference opponent that moves the needle in a positive way. — oregonlive, "The Pac-12âČs playoff chances can be summed up in three words ... slim and none: Issues & Answers," 4 Sep. 2019 These announcements are yet another exampleâsuch as banning plastic straws, false sustainability claims, and corporate commitments that are far in the futureâthat seem to be more of a PR exercise than real attempts to move the needle. — Yossi Sheffi, Quartz, "Removing mini-shampoos from hotel rooms wonât save the environment," 29 Aug. 2019 Here is his story, which acknowledges OSUâs efforts probably wonât move the needle much -- at least, not this year. — oregonlive.com, "Night kickoffs, losses continue to be issues for attendance at Oregon State home games: Issues & Answers," 28 Aug. 2019 Volunteers were even finding needles in and around the river, said Ellen Lana, environmental advocacy coordinator for Patagonia. — Saja Hindi, The Denver Post, "5 electric scooters, a bike and heaps of plastic among items collected from the South Platte River," 25 Aug. 2019 The announcement is yet another example â such as banning plastic straws, false sustainability claims and corporate commitments that are far in the future â that seem to be more of a PR exercise than real attempts to move the needle. — Yossi Sheffi, The Conversation, "Removing mini-shampoos from hotel rooms wonât save the environment," 23 Aug. 2019 Antonio Brown is looking for a needle in a haystack. — Dan Gartland, SI.com, "Antonio Brownâs Trade Offer for His Prized Helmet Is Absurdly Low," 13 Aug. 2019 Toney Armstrong: That's the needle in the haystack. — CBS News, "Lorenzen Wright death: Surprise plea deal latest twist in the case of slain NBA star," 27 July 2019 Look in the trash Not surprisingly, needles in the trash are a tip-off. — Shari Rudavsky, Indianapolis Star, "7 things to look for in a teen's bedroom that can tell you he or she is doing drugs," 22 July 2019Recent Examples on the Web: Verb
There are thousands of cold cases in New York City, needling reminders of unfinished business. — Michael Wilson, New York Times, "48 Years Later, a Cold Case Mystery: Who Killed Officer Bolden?," 28 Aug. 2019 Online auctioneer eBay promoted its sale with a commercial released last week that needled Amazon. — Benjamin Romano, chicagotribune.com, "Amazon critics, rivals pouncing on Prime Day spotlight," 15 July 2019 Doctors sounded the mysteries of their union by needling each brother at random, or feeding one of them asparagus and smelling the otherâs urine. — Julian Lucas, The New York Review of Books, "The Great Assimilationists," 21 Feb. 2019 Colorado Democrats have needled Gardner on tariffs this week, comparing his criticisms of tariffs to his handling of Trumpâs national emergency declaration for the southern border. — Justin Wingerter, The Denver Post, "Cory Gardner slams Trump tariffs: âTurning our backs on American workers and consumersâ," 7 June 2019 Meanwhile Wu has pushed and often needled the administration on other matters, ranging from regulating short-term rental and lobbying industries to advocating for a wetlands ordinance and for the city to purchase clean energy only. — Milton J. Valencia, BostonGlobe.com, "Michelle Wu says Boston is ready for change. But is Boston ready for Michelle Wu?," 30 June 2019 Henry underwent laser treatment and dry needling to break up the scar tissue, and within minutes the nerve was firing correctly again, Jeff Henry said. — Brody Miller, nola.com, "LSU freshman Cole Henry left super regional with nerve issue, expected to be ready by fall," 11 June 2019 Mary Louise manages to unsettle grieving daughter-in-law Celeste (Nicole Kidman) and needle the overbearing Madeline (Reese Witherspoon). — Hal Boedeker, orlandosentinel.com, "Meryl Streep, Doris Day, âRipleyâs Believe It or Not!â: Weekend for legends," 7 June 2019 Painted into a corner politically and economically by sanctions, Iran has long sought to push its interests and needle its enemies through the internet. — Robert Mcmillan, WSJ, "Tech Giants Target Accounts Linked to Iran," 23 Aug. 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'needle.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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