STICK Synonyms: 219 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the verb 'stick' contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of stick are adhere , cleave , cling , and cohere . While all these words mean "to become closely attached," stick implies attachment by affixing or by being glued together. // couldn't get the label to stick

Q: When would 'adhere' be a good substitute for 'stick'?

While in some cases nearly identical to stick , adhere is often interchangeable with stick but sometimes implies a growing together. // antibodies adhering to a virus

Q: When is 'cleave' a more appropriate choice than 'stick'?

While the synonyms cleave and stick are close in meaning, cleave stresses strength of attachment. // the wet shirt cleaved to his back

Q: In what contexts can 'cling' take the place of 'stick'?

The meanings of cling and stick largely overlap; however, cling implies attachment by hanging on with arms or tendrils. // clinging to a capsized boat

Q: When might 'cohere' be a better fit than 'stick'?

In some situations, the words cohere and stick are roughly equivalent. However, cohere suggests a sticking together of parts so that they form a unified mass. // eggs will make the mixture cohere

stick 1 of 2

verb

Definition of stick

as in to adhere

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 to put

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to stab

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in to squeeze

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

stick

2 of 2

noun

as in finger

Related Words

as in clam

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Dissimilar Words

as in beam

Related Words

as in stab

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Synonym Chooser

How does the verb stick contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of stick are adhere, cleave, cling, and cohere. While all these words mean "to become closely attached," stick implies attachment by affixing or by being glued together.

couldn't get the label to stick

When would adhere be a good substitute for stick?

While in some cases nearly identical to stick, adhere is often interchangeable with stick but sometimes implies a growing together.

antibodies adhering to a virus

When is cleave a more appropriate choice than stick?

While the synonyms cleave and stick are close in meaning, cleave stresses strength of attachment.

the wet shirt cleaved to his back

In what contexts can cling take the place of stick?

The meanings of cling and stick largely overlap; however, cling implies attachment by hanging on with arms or tendrils.

clinging to a capsized boat

When might cohere be a better fit than stick?

In some situations, the words cohere and stick are roughly equivalent. However, cohere suggests a sticking together of parts so that they form a unified mass.

eggs will make the mixture cohere

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 stick

Verb

On Friday, thousands of people stuck overnight at the Narita airport serving the Tokyo region gradually left as train service partially resumed Friday morning with delays. — Mari Yamaguchi, Los Angeles Times, 14 Aug. 2026 Agitators in top load washers tend to be rough on clothes and can cause rips in clothes if items get stuck and slung around the process. — Ashlyn Needham, Southern Living, 14 Aug. 2026

Noun

Trendy peel-and-stick wallpaper has also found its way onto college campuses, with design-minded students using it to line their walls as well as the backs of bookshelves. — Amelia Mularz, Architectural Digest, 14 Aug. 2026 Again, this is not to suggest that the NFL has suddenly come up on the short edge of the leverage stick. — Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 14 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for stick

Recent Examples of Synonyms for stick

Verb

Lightly brush the salmon fillets with the mustard and top with the panko/Parmesan mixture, pressing down lightly to adhere.

— Carole Kotkin, Miami Herald, 5 Aug. 2026
Ashford acknowledged that the agency has to adhere strictly to its cleanup plans but said in some cases, like an industrial site near a residential area, the EPA may clean up to a lower level to prevent recontamination.

— Chris Bowling, ProPublica, 4 Aug. 2026

Definition of adhere

Verb

But others take issue with her premise the exercises are unnecessary, arguing that scaling them back puts US forces –– almost 30,000 of them stationed in South Korea and over 50,000 more in nearby Japan –– in a more dangerous situation.

— Brad Lendon, CNN Money, 17 Aug. 2026
Paying it would inevitably put Meta Platforms in bankruptcy and perhaps put the company under state ownership.

— ABC News, ABC News, 17 Aug. 2026

Definition of put

Verb

Tennessee Department of Correction (TDOC) Communications via AP Hines stabbed Jenkins to death while the 54-year-old was working as a motel maid in Kingston Springs.

— CBS News, CBS News, 14 Aug. 2026
Lunceford eventually began moving toward doors leading outside, where the stabbing victim was being treated and roughly a dozen other workers were nearby.

— Ben Wheeler, Kansas City Star, 14 Aug. 2026

Definition of stab

Verb

Cheap electric cars dominate one end of the market, Tesla occupies the premium end, and the middle is getting squeezed.

— Jon Markman, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2026
Washington is trying to choke Iran's ability to get its crude out while Tehran is squeezing the artery through which everybody else's crude gets through.

— Frank Andrews, CBS News, 11 Aug. 2026

Definition of squeeze

Noun

There are several oranges, mandarins, a lemon and finger lime.

— Tom MacCubbin, The Orlando Sentinel, 15 Aug. 2026
The breakup hit simmered to the top so slowly that many who aren’t avid country listeners missed its ascent entirely — even the DJs who have their finger on the pulse.

— Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 14 Aug. 2026

Definition of finger

Noun

Head south to the coast’s whale-watching capital in Depoe Bay for tours and some of the famed clam chowder at Gracie’s Sea Hag.

— Zoe Baillargeon, Travel + Leisure, 16 Aug. 2026
To avoid getting Vibrio vulnificus, the health department suggests avoiding raw oysters or other raw shellfish and cooking shellfish like oysters, clams, mussels thoroughly before ingesting them.

— Kimberlee Speakman, PEOPLE, 7 Aug. 2026

Definition of clam

Noun

However, when the collaboration turned on the experiment, researchers found that the beam did not meet specifications.

— Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 15 Aug. 2026
The rear wheels are now connected by a rigid beam, and the differential is mounted directly to the frame rather than the axle as on previous trikes.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 14 Aug. 2026

Definition of beam

Noun

Nashville strengthened its push for the Supporters’ Shield and extended its lead to 5 points over Inter Miami on a night Lionel Messi again failed to convert a penalty.

— Dean Jones, New York Times, 16 Aug. 2026
While the White House hoped to remove Díaz-Canel and the Castro family from power, the push has been complicated by the lack of a credible opposition since revolutionary brothers Fidel and Raúl overthrew the island’s military dictatorship in 1959.

— Bloomberg, Chicago Tribune, 15 Aug. 2026

Definition of push

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stews

stick

stick around

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“Stick.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stick. Accessed 18 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of stick

verb

noun

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Synonyms of stick

verb

noun

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Phrases Containing stick

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Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster on stick

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