How to Use sting in a Sentence

sting

1 of 2 verb
  • The cold rain stung my eyes.
  • The smoke made our eyes sting.
  • I got stung by a bee.
  • The bees will sting if you bother them.
  • The iodine will sting for a few minutes.
  • The jellyfish stung the swimmer.
  • She was stung by their harsh criticism.
  • And that’s the part that stings.
    — Mike Bianchi, The Orlando Sentinel, 12 Mar. 2026
  • And that’s what stings the most.
    — Grace Raynor, New York Times, 21 Dec. 2025
  • That’s the part that stings the most.
    — Mike Bianchi, The Orlando Sentinel, 16 Apr. 2026
  • My eyes stung, the tears ready to spill.
    — Sofía Pereda, USA Today, 13 Oct. 2025
  • The first mozzie of the evening stings my arm.
    — Literary Hub, 4 Sep. 2025
  • And why they were stung by the events of the last few weeks.
    — Thomas Nagorski, Time, 3 June 2026
  • The Rays stung with two outs again in the sixth.
    — Gabrielle Starr, Boston Herald, 10 June 2026
  • Okay, this one might sting a little.
    — Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 11 Apr. 2026
  • Ask for a side of lip-stinging hot sauce.
    — Cesar Hernandez, San Francisco Chronicle, 28 Feb. 2026
  • Trump’s words will have stung for two reasons.
    — Luke McGee, Time, 10 Dec. 2025
  • In some cases, the frogs were even stung in the mouths and eyes.
    — Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 4 Dec. 2025
  • The ending of this game stung for the Sabres.
    — Matthew Fairburn, New York Times, 4 Feb. 2026
  • Salt stung eyes and clung to skin, while the smell of brine and fish hung heavy in the air.
    — Melissa Cristina Márquez, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2025
  • That still stings 30 years later.
    — Hank Tester, CBS News, 24 Feb. 2026
  • That home-and-home with the Islanders this week could sting.
    — Sean McIndoe, New York Times, 26 Jan. 2026
  • Stray bits of hair escaped my ponytail and stung my eyes.
    — Literary Hub, 14 May 2026
  • But this kind of comment often stings.
    — Time, 26 Aug. 2025
  • His pride had been stung, but not enough to malign a good customer.
    — Penelope Green, New York Times, 27 Feb. 2024
  • And the loss stung in multiple ways.
    — Jaylon Thompson, Kansas City Star, 7 May 2026
  • What hasn’t changed is his sharp, stinging guitar work.
    — Thor Christensen, Dallas Morning News, 11 Mar. 2026
  • Rain pounds down in a stinging curtain.
    — Kansas City Star, 22 May 2026
  • Otherwise, the what-if blues would’ve stung a lot longer.
    — Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 Apr. 2026
  • That doesn't mean the verbal attacks haven't stung.
    — Dan Zaksheske Outkick, FOXNews.com, 2 June 2026

sting

2 of 2 noun
  • They were caught in a drug sting.
  • When you get the shot, you'll feel a little sting.
  • His arm was covered with bee stings.
  • There’s a sting of truth to this, of course.
    — Daniel Alarcón, New Yorker, 4 June 2026
  • Most will feel the sting of defeat.
    — Peter Folan, Boston Herald, 23 May 2026
  • But that’s just the initial sting.
    — Sho Dewan, Forbes.com, 16 May 2026
  • That’s why moments like this sting.
    — Gloria Calderon Kellett, Deadline, 29 Jan. 2026
  • Push for answers that sting and then act on them.
    — Jodie Cook, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2025
  • The question is, who will feel the sting?
    — Anand Menon, Foreign Affairs, 8 Apr. 2019
  • For those of us who are in Christ, death has no sting.
    — Deirdre Bardolf, FOXNews.com, 25 Apr. 2026
  • The way — getting thrown around up front — is what stings.
    — Noah White, Miami Herald, 3 Dec. 2025
  • But that doesn't mean folks aren't still feeling the sting.
    — Steve Hruby, Cincinnati Enquirer, 13 Oct. 2025
  • A lot of stings, more than 100, over the whole body.
    — Becca Longmire, PEOPLE, 4 Nov. 2025
  • But Paddack won’t let the sting linger.
    — Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 31 Mar. 2026
  • And wouldn’t a nice, shiny, early draft pick help soothe the sting?
    — Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 11 Mar. 2026
  • This sting of this loss will hurt for a while, and for so many reasons.
    — Josh Yohe, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2026
  • Big blast of late fall-like chill will fill our lungs and bring a slight sting to our faces.
    — Matt Rogers, Washington Post, 18 Oct. 2022
  • Even brokers can feel the sting of the apartment that wasn’t.
    — Curbed, 1 Dec. 2023
  • For most people, a sting means sharp, intense pain.
    — Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 4 June 2026
  • So much has happened, so much time has passed to soften the sting.
    — Jorge Castillo, Los Angeles Times, 26 Aug. 2023
  • Your forearms and shoulders start to sting.
    — Matthew Shen Goodman, Harpers Magazine, 19 Sep. 2025
  • Over time, though, the lack of advancement stings.
    — Benjamin Laker, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2025
  • Just press the button, choose your mode, and apply it to your bite or sting.
    — Aly Walansky, Travel + Leisure, 18 July 2023
  • The sting took place in April, when an agent posed as a 13-year-old boy.
    — Jason Green, Mercury News, 14 May 2026
  • Adding to the sting was that Busch was driving the same equipment.
    — Jordan Bianchi, New York Times, 24 May 2026
  • They are found in arid regions and can deliver painful stings.
    — The Arizona Republic, 14 Feb. 2024
  • Still, that does not ease the sting for the Phillies’ clubhouse, who lost a good friend.
    — Charlotte Varnes, New York Times, 15 May 2026
  • The child had jumped at the sting, her bottom lip quivering.
    — Literary Hub, 23 Mar. 2026
  • The Dillingham part of the equation stings.
    — Jon Krawczynski, New York Times, 5 Feb. 2026
  • While the sting can produce severe pain, it's not known to be fatal.
    — Adam England, PEOPLE, 18 June 2026

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sting.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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