How to Use sting in a Sentence

sting

1 of 2 verb
Definition of stingnext
Synonyms for stingnext
  • The cold rain stung my eyes.
  • The smoke made our eyes sting.
  • I got stung by a bee.
  • The bees will sting if you bother them.
  • The iodine will sting for a few minutes.
  • The jellyfish stung the swimmer.
  • She was stung by their harsh criticism.
  • The errors stung until the comeback in the eighth inning.
    — Evan Petzold, Detroit Free Press, 3 May 2023
  • At the end of the day, the games truly matter in March, but this one will sting in the rearview mirror.
    — Michael Haag, Dallas News, 18 Feb. 2023
  • The year of this loved one’s death, of that stinging disappointment, of the first job, the first kiss.
    — Los Angeles Times, 18 Jan. 2024
  • Crowley stung Ramos with a left upper cut to the chin, but Ramos was able to shake it off.
    — José M. Romero, The Arizona Republic, 25 Mar. 2023
  • The good news is the invasive fly does not sting or bite humans.
    — Rachel Ramirez, CNN, 24 Sep. 2022
  • The fact that the top-seeded Dodgers couldn’t be both will sting all offseason.
    — Los Angeles Times, 24 Oct. 2022
  • His pride had been stung, but not enough to malign a good customer.
    — Penelope Green, New York Times, 27 Feb. 2024
  • Love the thought of a backyard bonfire on cool, fall nights but hate the thought of smoke stinging your eyes?
    — Nor'adila Hepburn, Southern Living, 25 Sep. 2023
  • And in this era of high inflation, that sting is even more pronounced.
    — Byalicia Adamczyk, Fortune, 14 Feb. 2023
  • The dirt flew into Dashtamirova’s face, and the debris stung her skin.
    — Ellie Silverman, Washington Post, 14 Mar. 2023
  • All of us got stung, but one researcher took the brunt of the pain when one of the animals drifted up his board shorts.
    — Smithsonian Magazine, 10 July 2023
  • Nothing stings like the broken trust that comes with cheating.
    — Jasmine Washington, Seventeen, 16 May 2023
  • Yet a recent firestorm related to race seemed to sting.
    — Jarrett Bell, USA TODAY, 16 Jan. 2023
  • The schools from getting the kids bitten or stung by black widow spiders.
    — Laura Johnston, cleveland, 31 July 2023
  • Saban and his staff were out coached in both games, and that still stings going into fall camp.
    — Joseph Goodman | [email protected], al, 23 Apr. 2023
  • The losses may sting, but Guyer and Lewisville still have everything to play for.
    — Greg McKenna, Dallas News, 8 Sep. 2023
  • Still, with that kind of global platform, his misstep stung a bit.
    — Michael Schneider, Variety, 14 Jan. 2024
  • Just one sting on her foot once rendered her out of commission for weeks.
    — Michelle Cohan, CNN, 17 Nov. 2022
  • Reich knows the debut will sting for Young, who tends to be his own toughest critic.
    — Jarrett Bell, USA TODAY, 11 Sep. 2023
  • What will happen to me if I am stung by a clinging jellyfish?
    — Saleen Martin, USA TODAY, 8 June 2023
  • In 1997, Farley was found dead in his Chicago apartment of a drug overdose, and his loss still stings those that knew and loved him.
    — Gillian Telling, Peoplemag, 15 Feb. 2024
  • Greenway, 9-3 The way last season ended had to sting for Greenway.
    — Theo MacKie, The Arizona Republic, 19 Mar. 2023
  • Mosquito hawks, also known as crane flies, do not sting or bite people.
    — The Arizona Republic, 12 Mar. 2024
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sting

2 of 2 noun
  • They were caught in a drug sting.
  • When you get the shot, you'll feel a little sting.
  • His arm was covered with bee stings.
  • At the same time, the West might not feel the sting of high oil prices as much as Putin hopes.
    — Tristan Bove, Fortune, 27 Dec. 2022
  • Even brokers can feel the sting of the apartment that wasn’t.
    — Curbed, 1 Dec. 2023
  • Dredge the fish in some of the red sauce fueled with anchovies and chiles, and enjoy the sting.
    — Tom Sietsema, Washington Post, 27 Nov. 2023
  • The guardian had agreed to the sting operation, the spokesperson added.
    — Wayne Chang, CNN, 26 July 2023
  • Still, the sting of Garcia's lies was hard for Gay, 49, to overcome.
    — Dave Quinn, Peoplemag, 23 Jan. 2024
  • Big blast of late fall-like chill will fill our lungs and bring a slight sting to our faces.
    — Matt Rogers, Washington Post, 18 Oct. 2022
  • Just press the button, choose your mode, and apply it to your bite or sting.
    — Aly Walansky, Travel + Leisure, 18 July 2023
  • So much has happened, so much time has passed to soften the sting.
    — Jorge Castillo, Los Angeles Times, 26 Aug. 2023
  • Avoid scratching the sting as this can increase swelling and the risk of infection.
    — Aliza Chasan, CBS News, 20 Sep. 2023
  • But a man a few feet away, who was allergic to the insect’s sting, was not alarmed.
    — Noah Lederman, Popular Science, 2 Nov. 2023
  • No one enjoys Tax Day but there are a couple of discounts and deals to take the sting out of April 18.
    — Leada Gore | [email protected], al, 19 Apr. 2023
  • The winds riled up hordes of bees and wasps, whose angry stings filled emergency rooms.
    — Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, 10 Aug. 2023
  • Klee said the way his team lost — blowing a 2-0 lead at home — does not add any extra sting to the team’s first loss.
    — Dean Spiros, Twin Cities, 14 Jan. 2024
  • The sports star’s sting injury comes after having knee surgery just a few weeks ago.
    — Escher Walcott, Peoplemag, 20 Sep. 2023
  • Few felt the sting of this shift as acutely as Alberda.
    — Greg Jaffe and Patrick Marley, Anchorage Daily News, 27 Aug. 2023
  • Meanwhile, many Americans still feel the sting of high costs for the basics.
    — Compiled By Democrat-Gazette Stafffrom Wire Reports, Arkansas Online, 26 Aug. 2023
  • Caring about things outside of work takes the sting off of rejection.
    — Caitlin Brody, Glamour, 5 July 2023
  • The sting of being oh-so-close to a championship lingers for New England sports fans.
    — Emma Healy, BostonGlobe.com, 7 July 2023
  • Hopefully, that eases some of the sting of a Super Bowl loss, Seguin said.
    — Jordan Mendoza, USA TODAY, 14 Feb. 2023
  • Even with the sting of the loss, the Stanford player Haley Jones seemed to see what was happening around her.
    — Talya Minsberg, New York Times, 3 Apr. 2023
  • They are found in arid regions and can deliver painful stings.
    — The Arizona Republic, 14 Feb. 2024
  • Other pain relief comes in the form of a burn gel packet—handy for the kitchen or campsite—and three sting relief wipes.
    — Adrienne Donica, Popular Mechanics, 4 Sep. 2023
  • At least the Chargers don’t have to feel the sting of playing a road game at home given what the 49ers’ throng annually do to the Rams.
    — Richard Morin, USA TODAY, 11 Nov. 2022
  • The sting of rent inflation hit tenants hard the past two years, due in part to record demand and not enough supply.
    — Veronica Dagher, WSJ, 11 Jan. 2024
  • Meaning, most workers won’t feel the sting in a typical year.
    — Robert Pearl, Forbes, 27 Mar. 2023
  • While the tiny, 1-inch creatures may look like fun, researchers warn that touching them could result in a painful sting.
    — Priscilla Thompson, NBC News, 9 Mar. 2024
  • Many Republicans are simply not on board with the idea, still feeling the sting of the weeks-long, arduous process to elect a new speaker of the House that froze the lower chamber last year.
    — Melissa Cruz, USA TODAY, 28 Mar. 2024

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sting.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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