STUNG Synonyms: 67 Similar and Opposite Words

stung

verb

Definition of stung

past tense of sting

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

undercharged

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 And the harsh reviews from her fellow breakers weren’t even what stung Gunn the most. — Natasha Dye, PEOPLE, 31 Aug. 2026 As a young Black woman, the betrayal stung as much as a rejection by any guy. — Sarah Jones, Vogue, 29 Aug. 2026 Several clubs have been stung by excessive ventures into external markets in recent years, most notably Tottenham in Italy and Manchester United’s mistakes in the Dutch league under Erik ten Hag. — Adam Crafton, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2026 Spray the nest from a distance to reduce the chances of being stung. — Tim Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 15 Aug. 2026 More than 3,100 people have been stung at Bolsa Chica and Huntington State Beach so far this year, which is at least double last year's total. — Michele Gile, CBS News, 14 Aug. 2026 The lionfish's poisonous spikes can badly hurt anyone who’s stung. — ABC News, 30 July 2026 Well, there was also the difference of Sale’s dominance after the Padres stung him. — Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 July 2026 Wann had bouts of food poisoning and was even stung in the face by a wasp during field work in southern Mexico. — Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 22 July 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for stung

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

The rest of us just got the surface, but who could feel cheated?

— Kathryn Schulz, New Yorker, 26 Aug. 2026
Child safety advocates and some parents have welcomed age restrictions, while privacy groups say the rules can be cheated and that forcing users to supply identification raises privacy concerns.

— ABC News, ABC News, 24 Aug. 2026

Definition of cheated

Verb

America’s aging farmers have been holding on to machinery for longer than usual as low crop prices and rising costs squeezed their finances.

— Bloomberg, Chicago Tribune, 31 Aug. 2026
Officials said the bears appeared to have squeezed through a 1-foot-wide opening in the concrete structure (likely seeking water during hot, humid weather) and then couldn’t get back out.

— Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of squeezed

Verb

What the disagreement was about Auditors for the city of Atlanta said the transit agency overcharged for enhanced bus service and owed the city $70 million from a fund to pay for new MARTA projects.

— AJ Willingham, AJC.com, 28 Aug. 2026
Marathon paid the additional amount, while arguing that they were being overcharged and taxed for business that did not occur in Carson, but rather in other jurisdictions.

— Blanca Begert, Los Angeles Times, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of overcharged

Verb

But for guests seeking deeper immersion in nature, the wildflower garden with more than 200 plant species looks like it was plucked straight from a fairy tale.

— Brian Cicioni, Travel + Leisure, 1 Sep. 2026
The Muir swivel chair in oxblood velvet feels plucked out of a Hollywood Regency–style boutique hotel lobby.

— Yelena Moroz Alpert, Architectural Digest, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of plucked

Verb

Palace workers also collected cards soaked after a nightly downpour and dried them to preserve the mourners’ messages for posterity, NRK reported.

— ABC News, ABC News, 29 Aug. 2026
And because nobody washed the dishes before tossing them into the feasting pit, King and his colleagues (in a 2017 study) could analyze the microscopic residue of ancient drinks that had soaked into the ceramic.

— ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of soaked

Verb

Officers hustled the residents, including the children, out of the home, while Walsh and the second officer found the suspect hiding in a bathroom.

— Robert Salonga, Mercury News, 26 Aug. 2026
Two of the men quickly hopped up and hustled down the sidewalk, while the third sat for a second before replacing the manhole cover, and walked away, the video shows.

— John Annese, New York Daily News, 24 Aug. 2026

Definition of hustled

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“Stung.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stung. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of stung

verb

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