spiking

verb

present participle of spike
1
as in stabbing
to penetrate or hold (something) with a pointed object scorpions use their stinger-equipped tails to spike their prey

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in stimulating
to give life, vigor, or spirit to he spiked what otherwise would have been a dry economic lecture with some jokes and anecdotes

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 spiking Sticker shock The DWP says its recent high bills are driven by spiking power use during the record-breaking summer heat, especially for air conditioning, not by rate increases. — Kevinisha Walker, Los Angeles Times, 19 Oct. 2026 Even so, there are numerous reports of perpetrators spiking a victim’s drink or otherwise slipping a drug to them without their knowledge. — Christopher P. Holstege, The Conversation, 15 Oct. 2026 Bloomberg News reported that CoreWeave's bonds sold off sharply, with unsecured debt due in 2032 trading below 80 cents on the dollar and yields spiking. — Davis Giangiulio,darla Mercado, Cfp®, CNBC, 14 Oct. 2026 Instead of spiking the ball to stop the clock and kicking, the Commanders huddled. — ABC News, 12 Oct. 2026 Michigan gas prices started spiking on Friday and remained high over the weekend, with AAA reporting prices were 19 cents higher on Monday than a week ago. — Paula Wethington, CBS News, 12 Oct. 2026 Months of American and Israeli bombs have damaged the country’s industries and infrastructure, spiking unemployment and pushing more Iranians into poverty. — Narges Bajoghli, Foreign Affairs, 9 Oct. 2026 For hours, the medical team tried to stabilize her spiking pulse. — CNN Money, 1 Oct. 2026 With prices spiking and borrowing costs already high, the Federal Reserve’s latest decision could make life even more expensive, said Rachel Lerman in The Washington Post. — The Week Us, TheWeek, 28 Sep. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spiking
  1. stabbing
  2. stimulating
  3. picking
  4. stirring
  5. puncturing
  6. jabbing
  7. piercing
  8. sticking
Verb
  • On April 21, 2023, Garr was walking up Bridge Street in Drexel Hill when police said Weh brutally attacked him, stabbing and slashing the 15-year-old 11 times.
    — Joe Holden, CBS News, 13 Oct. 2026
  • The 40-foot homemade boat was overloaded with 64 people, who panicked and jumped overboard after De La Rosa began stabbing people, a Homeland Security Investigations criminal complaint states.
    — David Goodhue October 12, Miami Herald, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of stabbing
Verb
  • The team also gave the muscle a workout, stimulating it with light for 15 minutes a day at two pulses per second.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 3 Oct. 2026
  • Head spas are credited with cleansing the scalp, stimulating blood flow, strengthening hair follicles and lowering stress and anxiety.
    — Hanna Wickes, Sacbee.com, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of stimulating
Verb
  • While the three were picking their way through a clump of trees at the far end of the cornfield, half a dozen does came out of the willows single file, walked under my platform within six yards of me, and started to feed.
    — Al Dawson, Outdoor Life, 15 Oct. 2026
  • The farm’s famous U-Pick strawberries are expected to be ready for picking Thursdays through Saturdays by Christmas in the adjacent property.
    — Kari Barnett, Sun Sentinel, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of picking
Verb
  • The story centers on two ex-lovers who come back into each other’s lives after spending decades apart, only to find old feelings stirring with messy and mixed results.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until browned all over and just cooked through, 3–4 minutes more.
    — Rebecca Firkser, Bon Appetit Magazine, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of stirring
Verb
  • Executioners spent more than two hours trying to find a vein, possibly puncturing his bladder before giving up.
    — Keri Blakinger, ProPublica, 6 Oct. 2026
  • The shrapnel tore through the metal surrounding the engine, shattering the window at row 11, leaving a dent in the plane near row 8 and puncturing the body below the wing, as well as gouging and denting the tail, the NTSB said.
    — Alexandra Skores, CNN Money, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of puncturing
Verb
  • Then, inside the death house, executioners struggled to find a vein, jabbing Pike with at least seven needles, according to her lawyers, one of whom watched in dismay.
    — Keri Blakinger, ProPublica, 6 Oct. 2026
  • When handcuffed by investigators, Thakor denied jabbing his wife with a knife.
    — Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of jabbing
Verb
  • The individual who inflicted the fatal injury drove the spear downward through the victim’s left chest cavity from the front, piercing major arteries and the lungs before creating the hole in the left scapula.
    — Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 15 Oct. 2026
  • An argument between children over a pizza slice escalated into a 10-year-old girl having a knife thrown at her chest, piercing her skin, by her 8-year-old brother Thursday, police said.
    — Devoun Cetoute, Miami Herald, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of piercing
Verb
  • The day rewards curiosity more than sticking stubbornly to the original plan.
    — Tarot.com, Sun Sentinel, 14 Oct. 2026
  • The priority the remainder of the year must be personnel evaluation, so sticking a full 17 games with Austin Jackson - who seems unlikely to be back next season - would be denying the front office and coaching staff a chance to see other players.
    — Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 11 Oct. 2026
Definition of sticking

Browse Nearby Words

spikes
spiking
spiky
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Cite this Entry

“Spiking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spiking. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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