Thesaurus results for PAINKILLER

painkiller

noun

ˈpān-ˌki-lər

Definition of painkiller

as in sedative

something (as a drug) that relieves pain after her oral surgery, she was given a prescription for a mild painkiller

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 painkiller Though the series went on to cast a new Darrin, York remained bedridden for months and reportedly struggled with an addiction to painkillers, per a 2024 special about the series. — Justine Fisher, PEOPLE, 12 Oct. 2026 As Manganiello was just beginning to recover, weaning himself with difficulty from a heavy regimen of painkillers that had tested his sobriety, his agent called with the news that Ben Affleck wanted to discuss a role in the new Batman movie. — Joe Manganiello, HollywoodReporter, 8 Oct. 2026 Sometimes, the mirror molecule does something completely different from what it was originally intended to — take novrad, a cough medicine, and darvon, a painkiller, which are chiral molecules (hence their mirror names, too). — Annalisa Merelli, STAT, 7 Oct. 2026 Fuelled in part by the overprescription of painkillers like OxyContin in the 1990s, the market for unregulated substitutes exploded into what became regarded as an epidemic by the turn of the millennium. — New Atlas, 30 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for painkiller

Recent Examples of Synonyms for painkiller

Noun

Executions in the state are carried out through the injection of a sedative, a paralytic and a drug that stops the heart, according to the Department of Corrections.

— Landon Mion, FOXNews.com, 21 Oct. 2026
In 1961, however, studies in animals revealed that clozapine acts primarily as a sedative and exerts its effects without inducing muscle rigidity, as previous antipsychotics had.

— Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of sedative

Noun

The authors posit that people from that period sucked on betel nuts to relieve tooth pain, given that these populations are known to have had bad teeth and arecoline is a natural analgesic.

— ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 2 Oct. 2026
Unprocessed nuts likely offer milder effects, but arceoline remains a natural analgesic.

— Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 10 Sep. 2026

Definition of analgesic

Noun

Authorities have issued bear-hunting permits across eight provinces and are seeking to procure tranquilizer dart guns to support rangers in rural areas.

— CBS News, CBS News, 8 Oct. 2026
Her husband hurriedly shut the door and begged her to see a doctor for a tranquilizer prescription.

— Elvira Navarro, Harpers Magazine, 22 Sep. 2026