1
as in spice
the quality or state of being stimulating to the mind or senses
the barbecue sauce has a nip to it that balances out the sweetness
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in shred
a very small amount
I'll have just a nip of your sandwich
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in chill
an uncomfortable degree of coolness
there's a nip in the air today
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to shave
to make (something) shorter or smaller with the use of a cutting instrument
I'm just going to nip these hedges, and then I'll be done with the work outside
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
3
as in to steal
to take (something) without right and with an intent to keep
that guy nipped my wallet from the restaurant table when I turned away
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in to hurry
to proceed or move quickly
I'll just nip off to the corner store for some milk
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of nip
Rachel Bernhard, jsonline.com, 10 Nov. 2025
The company's own Super Refresh technology is also baked in to nip image ghosting in the bud.
—New Atlas, 24 Oct. 2025
Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 6 Nov. 2025
Elsewhere, a glass of orange juice propped on the side of an easel seemed to hint at an artist who just nipped out for a break.
—Joelle Diderich, Footwear News, 27 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for nip
Noun
The massive stock of mini, nip-sized liquor bottles behind the bar?
—Verb
And perhaps most tellingly, the entire event was tinged with anticipation of Japan’s 2026 spotlight as the Cannes Film Market’s Country of Honor, a coronation that arrives just as Korean and Chinese competitors are nipping at Japanese content’s heels.
—Recent Examples of Synonyms for nip
Verb
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Millions of Americans are shaving down their grocery budgets and putting off buying a home as wages fail to meet rising costs of living.—
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Over the course of a full marathon, Salomon calculated the Phantasm 3 can shave up to 18 seconds from a pace of 2 hours and 6 minutes.—
Verb
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And as often happens with private equity acquisitions of retailers, the companies were larded with unsustainable debt, which made investing in the core business more difficult and led to penny-pinching measures that have been destructive to the businesses.—
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The chain, which got its start in Corpus Christi, Texas, in 1950, has been a favorite for penny-pinching burger lovers for decades now and its new Whatdeals will help cement that reputation.—
Verb
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One of the more entertaining theories to explain Indiana’s success is that a Hoosiers staffer hacked a cloud to steal the opponent’s game plans.—
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The perfect partner for the look is a powder pink clutch and stole, both with embroidery that matches the dress.—
Verb
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Rafiq thanked the shopkeeper and hurried out of the bazaar’s maze-like structure to find his car.—
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Caracas, Venezuela — The morning after US forces bombed Caracas, dragged President Nicolás Maduro out of bed, carted him over the Caribbean and installed him in a Brooklyn jail, many Venezuelans hurried to the grocery store.—
Verb
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Carolina cut the lead 17-14 at halftime after a 1-yard touchdown run by Hubbard and a 16-yard scramble by Young, the second-longest TD run of his career.—
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This same staff cut him to make room for a waiver-wire claim before the start of the 2024 season.—
Verb
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Miami’s first Black Art Basel exhibit was held at the Lyric Theater.—
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He was tagged and pictured holding a skull on the group page, ABC 6 reported.—
Verb
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Instead of swiping like the MetroCards, OMNY Cards are just held to a digital card reader for processing.—
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While navigation is active, swipe up from the bottom of the screen to open the trip menu.—
Verb
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First responders in Atlanta rushed to an airport runway Tuesday after an aircraft experienced a harrowing landing failure, with all eight of its landing tires bursting the moment the plane touched down, according to Fox 5 Atlanta.—
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Lopez rushed her back to the emergency room, where an MRI revealed a diagnosis of transverse myelitis, a rare inflammatory disorder affecting the spinal cord.—
Video
'Nip it in the butt' or 'Nip it in the bud'?
We're gonna stop you right there
Cite this Entry
“Nip.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nip. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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