prickling 1 of 2

adjective

as in stinging

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prickling

2 of 2

verb

present participle of prickle
as in poking
to cause or experience an unpleasant feeling that is like the feeling of having many small, sharp points against your skin The burrs were prickling my arm. The wool sweater prickled my skin.

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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 prickling
Verb
Initial symptoms of rabies include flu-like illness including weakness or discomfort, fever, or headache, and discomfort, prickling, or an itching sensation at the site of the bite. — Don Sweeney, Sacbee.com, 3 Aug. 2026 As Luke walks off, his shirt undone and his furry belly prickling in the desert cold, Danny turns and stares out into the backyard. — Brian Moylan, Vulture, 16 Apr. 2026 Retatrutide has shown similar side effects, as well as a prickling sensation known as dysesthesia. — Meg Tirrell, CNN Money, 19 Mar. 2026 People with peripheral neuropathy may experience pins and needles sensations, such as tingling and prickling, in their extremities. — Laura Dorwart, Health, 22 Dec. 2025 It is spread to people and pets through the bites and scratches of an infected animal, and first symptoms may include flu, weakness, discomfort, fever, headache, as well as a prickling sensation at the site of the wound, before turning into more severe disease after around two weeks. — Jasmine Laws, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 Oct. 2025 Whitefish salad prickling with chile and festooned with great tufts of cilantro. — Bon Appétit Staff & Contributors, Bon Appetit Magazine, 20 Aug. 2025 Jakobus speaks in an Old World dialect, Pilsner, delivering brisk herbal aromas, hints of fresh levain bread and a prickling hop bitterness. — Peter Rowe, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for prickling
  1. stinging
  2. poking
  3. nagging
  4. piercing
  5. bleeding
  6. tingling
  7. burning
  8. penetrating
Adjective
  • Biting and stinging arthropods, such as wasps, mosquitos and spiders, account for five states.
    — Bonny Chu, FOXNews.com, 3 Aug. 2026
  • That move came just as the clock was running out Friday on stopgap levies the president imposed after a stinging defeat for other tariffs at the Supreme Court.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 24 July 2026
Definition of stinging
Verb
  • Carrington has previously garnered controversy for poking Cunningham's teammate Caitlin Clark in the eye during the 2024 playoffs, and making controversial statements in the media.
    — Jackson Thompson , Matt Reigle OutKick, FOXNews.com, 8 Aug. 2026
  • At first glance, corals present as little more than colorful rocks — piles of lobes, stalagmites, and branches poking out from the seafloor.
    — Marlowe Starling, Quanta Magazine, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of poking
Adjective
  • Mike Evans and Christian Kirk, the centerpieces of the offseason moves, are battling nagging injuries.
    — Darren Cooper, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2026
  • Yes, even better than the Dodgers, particularly if Shohei Ohtani is unable to return to pitching thanks to his nagging knee injury.
    — Ian Miller OutKick, FOXNews.com, 2 Aug. 2026
Definition of nagging
Verb
  • The woman eventually managed to escape and ran to a neighbor for help, WPLG reported, adding that her piercing screams were captured on home surveillance video.
    — Landon Mion, FOXNews.com, 6 Aug. 2026
  • The company has been piercing girls and their mothers for nearly five decades with 131 million ears pierced to date.
    — Sharon Edelson, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of piercing
Adjective
  • Dickerson was the first physician to treat Mike Studeny, who was diagnosed with a non-bleeding stroke.
    — Christa Swanson, CBS News, 9 May 2026
  • In tests using mice, after surgical damage to the liver, AGCL was able to perform significantly better than other current anti-bleeding agents, with normal liver function returning just two weeks after its application.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 21 Jan. 2026
Definition of bleeding
Verb
  • Those include numbness and tingling around the mouth and fingertips, trouble walking, talking or swallowing, sometimes weakness in the upper or lower extremity, balance issues or struggles with episodic memory.
    — Melissa Rudy, FOXNews.com, 18 Aug. 2026
  • Pain, numbness or tingling in the lower extremities can point to an orthopedic issue, but the same sensations can also signal prostate cancer that has spread.
    — Hanna Wickes, Sacbee.com, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of tingling
Adjective
  • Prosecutors said some of the money was used for recruiting new members and purchasing Ku Klux Klan robes and materials for cross-burning ceremonies.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 7 July 2026
  • In the case of the cross-burning incident, there is no comparison to the Jussie Smollett case.
    — Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 19 June 2026
Definition of burning
Verb
  • Grapeseed oil deeply hydrates hair by penetrating all layers of the hair shaft, leaving it moisturized from the inside out.
    — Kelly Burch Published, Verywell Health, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Its ability to change direction during flight is intended to increase the chances of penetrating sophisticated air defense networks and striking high-value military assets.
    — Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of penetrating

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Cite this Entry

“Prickling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prickling. Accessed 20 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on prickling

Nglish: Translation of prickling for Spanish Speakers

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