1
as in taunted
to attack repeatedly with mean put-downs or insults
we needled him mercilessly for thinking that he had any chance of being the prom date for the school's most popular girl
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in urged
to subject (someone) to constant scoldings and sharp reminders
quit needling me! I'll take out the trash in a minute!
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of needled
By contrast, Trump is being needled almost weekly by Tillis and other GOP senators whose chattiness with the press has drawn the ire of the president.
—
David Sivak,
The Washington Examiner,
31 May 2026
Yang was critical of TKO’s handling of the Las Vegas event, which took place last week at Allegiant Stadium for the second straight year and needled the company over the recent wave of WWE departures.
—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
26 Apr. 2026
Johnson could have needled Woods about their windy Sunday stroll at Augusta in ’07, when Johnson trailed Stuart Appleby by two strokes, and Woods by one, heading into the last round in which Johnson’s 69 produced another slice of history.
—
Jay Paris,
Oc Register,
26 Mar. 2026
But there are other factors that needled their way into the evolutionary development of dormancy characteristics.
—
Paul Cappiello,
Louisville Courier Journal,
9 Jan. 2026
Thanks to him and his colleagues Lucas Atia and Janet Teng, there’s a much faster, simpler treatment without an IV bag and an hour of getting needled, and a far more accessible treatment for people for whom simply getting to the hospital might be a major hassle or even an impossibility.
—
New Atlas,
30 Dec. 2025
The Ukrainian leader also wore more formal attire, something that did not go unnoticed by pro-Trump reporter Brian Glenn, who in February needled Zelensky for his lack of a suit.
—
Brett Samuels,
The Hill,
18 Aug. 2025
Trump at one point needled Zelenskyy over Ukraine delaying elections.
—
Aamer Madhani,
Fortune,
18 Aug. 2025
One ayatollah in particular, Ruhollah Khomeini, needled the Shah incessantly.
—
Daniel Immerwahr,
New Yorker,
4 Aug. 2025
David Sivak,
The Washington Examiner,
31 May 2026
Yang was critical of TKO’s handling of the Las Vegas event, which took place last week at Allegiant Stadium for the second straight year and needled the company over the recent wave of WWE departures.
—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
26 Apr. 2026
Johnson could have needled Woods about their windy Sunday stroll at Augusta in ’07, when Johnson trailed Stuart Appleby by two strokes, and Woods by one, heading into the last round in which Johnson’s 69 produced another slice of history.
—
Jay Paris,
Oc Register,
26 Mar. 2026
But there are other factors that needled their way into the evolutionary development of dormancy characteristics.
—
Paul Cappiello,
Louisville Courier Journal,
9 Jan. 2026
Thanks to him and his colleagues Lucas Atia and Janet Teng, there’s a much faster, simpler treatment without an IV bag and an hour of getting needled, and a far more accessible treatment for people for whom simply getting to the hospital might be a major hassle or even an impossibility.
—
New Atlas,
30 Dec. 2025
The Ukrainian leader also wore more formal attire, something that did not go unnoticed by pro-Trump reporter Brian Glenn, who in February needled Zelensky for his lack of a suit.
—
Brett Samuels,
The Hill,
18 Aug. 2025
Trump at one point needled Zelenskyy over Ukraine delaying elections.
—
Aamer Madhani,
Fortune,
18 Aug. 2025
One ayatollah in particular, Ruhollah Khomeini, needled the Shah incessantly.
—
Daniel Immerwahr,
New Yorker,
4 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for needled
Verb
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In the Chicago area, officials said three men captured a victim and shot him multiple times in the head and allegedly taunted his mother.
-
Tournament favorites France, for example, have so thoroughly taunted and tormented their opponents that anything short of the final would seem an injustice at this point.
Verb
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The union’s chief negotiator urged Newsom and the state’s other leaders to include a raise for SEIU Local 1000 employees in light of the state’s relatively strong budget.
-
Democratic campaign committees also urged the Supreme Court to uphold the caps.
Verb
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Bryant Vincent’s team has teased in each of his first two years in Monroe, starting 3-1 last season before the roof caved in with eight straight setbacks.
-
While the flagship movie franchise is coming to an end, Diesel previously teased that NBCUniversal has four TV shows in development from the Fast & Furious world.
Verb
-
Whether or not Freddy deserved to be hounded off the internet didn’t really matter.
-
Goldberg, on the other hand, hounded Freedman with questions, asking about every material used in every step of the process.
Verb
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That single test would have stopped Tank Day before a designer ever mocked up a poster.
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On Wednesday, Smith mocked the team's trade for Walker Kessler, pairing him with Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves.
Verb
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On Saturday night, with Karl-Anthony Towns and OG nagged by foul trouble and the bench players struggling, Brunson refused to give in.
-
But his promise to visit Bolduc’s widow nagged at him.
Verb
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Yet, the same people who begged for this opportunity for years suddenly want to police the moment.
-
Up to this point, Ruthye has begged Supergirl to help her exact revenge on Krem, which the heroine has refused, so the alignment of their goals ends up a convenient happenstance.
Verb
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All this sprung to mind on Friday, against a Cape Verde side that were dogged, well-organised and capable of scoring spectacular goals.
-
Lanky with striking red hair and a cocky demeanor, Clapper was dogged and respected by his fellow cops.
Cite this Entry
“Needled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/needled. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.
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