as in to stab
to penetrate or hold (something) with a pointed object
jabbed a pickle and tossed it on the plate
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of jab
Anthony Solorzano, Los Angeles Times, 2 Jan. 2026
While most federal judges tend not to throw jabs at the justices on the Supreme Court, some offered sharp rebukes aimed at the high court over its emergency orders.
—Jack Birle, The Washington Examiner, 1 Jan. 2026
Judith Martin, Mercury News, 4 Dec. 2025
Yet the reception was precisely as if Happy Mondays had made a surprise appearance—people jabbing the air, hips swinging with merry abandon, wearing the sort of grins usually observed under bucket hats.
—Jazz Monroe, Pitchfork, 28 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for jab
Noun
Cignetti kept taking jabs at the Tide defense with heavy use of the run game early in the contest.
—Verb
After about 30 seconds, the person behind me jabbed my left shoulder five times, hard, to alert me to the volunteer’s availability.
—Recent Examples of Synonyms for jab
Noun
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Those two factors, coupled with the offensive punch that Lleyton Weaver and BJ Knowlton provided, had the Hurricane within striking distance the entire game.—
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The Horns have some talent, but have been a sieve on defense over the last few games, including a gut punch of a 101-98 overtime loss at home to Mississippi State in the conference opener.—
Verb
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The woman who was stabbed is in stable condition, and the man is in critical condition, the spokesperson said.—
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Early the following morning, Anaheim police officers responded to the intersection of Santa Ana and Helena streets after witnesses reported seeing two men chasing Reyes and one of them stabbing him.—
Noun
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Along with seasonal vegetables and light seafood bites including tuna poke and hamachi and passionfruit crudo, Ember & Vine will also offer 16 self-serve wine dispensers where diners can fill their glasses with 3- and 9-ounce pours.—
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But Ryan Hartman’s poke pass out of the defensive zone kicked off a 2-on-1 rush that Tarasenko finished off, slipping a shot past San Jose goalie Yaroslav Askarov.—
Verb
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Researchers in Mexico have developed a revolutionary zinc-air battery (ZAB) that keeps running even after being punctured, exposed to flames, or even completely submerged in water.—
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Their necks were broken and they were dragged away to the bush to be impaled, their bowels punctured.—
Verb
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Whistle blasts pierced the early January chill in a now-familiar community response employed by activists in US cities to alert neighbors to the presence of immigration officers.—
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As for what these glorious creatures sound like, the great eared nightjar's piercing call can be heard at dawn and dusk.—
Verb
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He was hand picked by Jeopardy producers to succeed Trebek before his passing, and even got the blessing of the longtime host's widow, Jean Trebek.—
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He was picked to play for Latvia in the Winter Olympics next month in Milan, Italy.—
Verb
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There was nobody to meet us; the jeep that had been scheduled to pick us up had gotten stuck about ten miles away and would take another two or three hours to arrive.—
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Simply tuck your AirTag into the silicone pouch and stick the case to the inside of your suitcase—you’ll never have to worry about forgetting to pop the tracking device into your bag ever again.—
Cite this Entry
“Jab.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/jab. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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