stung

verb

Definition of stungnext
past tense of sting
1
as in gouged
to charge (someone) too much for goods or services a nightclub that's been stinging patrons for years

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in cheated
to rob by the use of trickery or threats swindlers who sting unwary tourists by posing as officials demanding money

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 stung Hayes said the experience may vary; his young son has also been stung. — Eva Flowe june 26, Charlotte Observer, 26 June 2026 The timing of the memo particularly stung for advocates. — O. Rose Broderick, STAT, 22 June 2026 Having dominated most of his players in table tennis over the years, Gadowsky is still stung after meeting his match. — John Wawrow, Chicago Tribune, 26 June 2026 Democrats are still stung by Rogan’s nearly three-hour Trump interview in the final weeks of the 2024 campaign. — Steven Sloan, Los Angeles Times, 30 June 2026 Interestingly, one legend has Scorpius representing the creature that stung Orion to death. — Joe Rao, Space.com, 26 June 2026 Home Depot and rival Lowe’s must also confront a weak housing market, which has been stung by stubbornly high interest rates and rising building material expenses. — John Kell, Fortune, 24 June 2026 While the driver was unharmed, per the station, CBS affiliate KFDM-TV in Beaumont said its photographer was stung once while at the scene, according to KBTX. — Gabrielle Rockson, PEOPLE, 22 June 2026 Christie Ray/Queen Bee Supply via AP A photojournalist from CBS affiliate KDFM also captured video despite being stung , the station reported. — CBS News, 23 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stung
  1. gouged
  2. cheated
  3. surcharged
  4. squeezed
  5. overcharged
  6. plucked
  7. soaked
  8. hustled
Verb
  • Trump recently posted on his Truth Social account that big oil companies were not dropping gas prices fast enough, and that Americans were being gouged.
    — Stephen Hobbs, Sacbee.com, 30 June 2026
  • The bullets shattered nine panes of glass, their wooden framework gouged by bullet fragments.
    — David Frum, The Atlantic, 21 May 2026
Definition of gouged
Verb
  • Hell may hath no fury like a Red Devils squad feeling cheated after the shocking FIFA decision to allow Balogun to play tonight in Seattle.
    — Ben Church, CNN Money, 6 July 2026
  • Billups is accused of participating in a conspiracy to fix high-stakes card games tied to La Cosa Nostra organized crime families that cheated unsuspecting gamblers out of at least $7 million.
    — Ed White, Twin Cities, 29 June 2026
Definition of cheated
Verb
  • Domestic flights will also get surcharged.
    — Medora Lee, USA Today, 12 Mar. 2026
Definition of surcharged
Verb
  • The performance uptick that Motorola squeezed from the 2026 Razr+ is minor at best, with results showing no significant year-over-year gains.
    — Kimberly Gedeon, PC Magazine, 29 June 2026
  • There was Paris squeezed between meetings on a fleeting work trip.
    — Alisha Prakash, Travel + Leisure, 27 June 2026
Definition of squeezed
Verb
  • Cobalt supply chains are plagued by unethical mining practices in remote regions worldwide, and the material itself poses a notable safety hazard due to its tendency to catch fire or short-circuit when overcharged.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 24 June 2026
  • What follows is less about whether you are being overcharged and more about who, exactly, is deciding your number.
    — Dara-Abasi Ita, Forbes.com, 10 June 2026
Definition of overcharged
Verb
  • On the walls, black-and-white printouts of newspaper articles, magazines and book pages looked like they were plucked from a Pinterest board on scrapbooking.
    — Jenn Harris, Los Angeles Times, 2 July 2026
  • Despite his young age, the then 36-year-old was far from a nobody plucked from the ether, though.
    — Chris Evans, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026
Definition of plucked
Verb
  • And after celebrating by mimicking a fishing motion in honor of his Bass Pro Shops sponsor, Briscoe soaked it all in.
    — Steve Millar, Chicago Tribune, 6 July 2026
  • Thankfully, Hutton Brickyards sports a main pavilion that is fully covered, allowing the crowd to wait out the water without getting soaked.
    — Rolling Stone, Rolling Stone, 5 July 2026
Definition of soaked
Verb
  • The few that didn’t have hustled to catch up.
    — Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 23 June 2026
  • The first inning looked promising as Yandy Diaz and Jonathan Aranda singled, and Cedric Mullins hustled his bunt attempt into a hit to load the bases.
    — Marc Topkin, The Orlando Sentinel, 21 June 2026
Definition of hustled

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Cite this Entry

“Stung.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stung. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on stung

Nglish: Translation of stung for Spanish Speakers

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