Synonyms of stings

stings 1 of 2

noun

plural of sting

1

as in scams

an instance of the use of dishonest methods to acquire something of value

the pawn shop operation turned out to be a sting by undercover police officers to catch the ring of burglars

Synonyms & Similar Words

• scams
• frauds
• shell games
• swindles
• hustles
• devices
• fiddles
• hoaxes
• cons
• schemes
• buncos
• flimflams
• tricks
• crosses
• rackets
• counterfeits
• pyramid schemes
• fixes
• dodges
• jigs
• Ponzi schemes
• sleights
• stratagems
• wiles
• rip-offs
• fakes
• phonies
• ploys
• gimmicks
• shams
• forgeries
• thimblerigs
• three-card montes
• humbug

2

as in pains

a sharp unpleasant sensation usually felt in some specific part of the body

the sting of cold air against my face

Synonyms & Similar Words

• pains
• tingles
• aches
• pangs
• stitches
• pricks
• swellings
• twinges
• shoots
• smarts
• throes
• sores
• hurts
• discomforts
• distresses
• sufferings
• inflammations
• headaches
• injuries
• tortures
• damages
• harms
• miseries
• agonies
• torments
• anguishes
• stomachaches
• toothaches
• afflictions
• gripes
• earaches
• colics
• bellyaches
• complaints
• backaches
• detriments
• sufferances
• charley horses

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• comforts
• eases

stings

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of sting

1

as in gouges

to charge (someone) too much for goods or services

a nightclub that's been stinging patrons for years

Synonyms & Similar Words

• gouges
• overcharges
• surcharges
• soaks
• cheats
• sticks
• clips
• defrauds
• fleeces
• skins
• mischarges

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• undercharges

2

as in plucks

to rob by the use of trickery or threats

swindlers who sting unwary tourists by posing as officials demanding money

Synonyms & Similar Words

• plucks
• squeezes
• hustles
• sticks
• cheats
• beats
• does
• bleeds
• screws
• deceives
• suckers
• shorts
• victimizes
• tricks
• cozens
• swindles
• gaffs
• fiddles
• shakes down
• hoses
• defrauds
• diddles
• shortchanges
• mulcts
• skunks
• skins
• rips off
• exploits
• chisels
• bilks
• reams
• fleeces
• fools
• stiffs
• rooks
• cons
• nobbles
• betrays
• flimflams
• chouses
• does in
• extorts
• wrenches
• clips
• euchres
• takes to the cleaners
• thimblerigs
• nicks
• sells a bill of goods to
• gouges
• soaks
• takes for a ride
• overcharges
• wrings
• milks
• wrests
• dupes
• gulls
• bitches
• ropes (in)
• bamboozles
• double-crosses
• fast-talks

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of stings

Noun

Tarantula hawk wasps are solitary insects known for their large size and intensely painful stings. — Sean Donnelly, USA Today, 17 Sep. 2026

Getting rid of paper wasps early prevents painful stings, allergic reactions, and infestations near your home’s living spaces. — Madeline Buiano, Martha Stewart, 3 Sep. 2026

Skyler Gisondo and singer-songwriter Phoebe Bridgers costar as an actor and a decoy in the stings. — David Faris, TheWeek, 1 Sep. 2026

At Bolsa Chica State Beach, swimmers suffering stings to the sides of their feet and toes sat in a circle refilling their pails with hot water from a hose. — ABC News, 13 Aug. 2026

While their stings are painful, wasps and hornets play a vital role in controlling other insect pests. — Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 13 Aug. 2026

Caterpillar hairs floated on the water’s surface, leaving swimmers with a necklace of red stings. — Ben Crair, New Yorker, 31 July 2026

This was in the era of mail-order CD clubs, when radio stations would pay $100 a month for one or two CDs full of background music to produce ads or stings. — Kieran Press-Reynolds, Pitchfork, 30 July 2026

Some new hires with flawless academic records may struggle the first time a project stalls or feedback stings. — Joash Lee, Forbes.com, 23 July 2026

Verb

General Mills spun off Darden Restaurants in 1995, and then Darden sold Red Lobster in 2014, in a deal with the private equity firm Golden Gate Capital that still stings many veterans to this day. — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 1 Oct. 2026

The pain of losing Hollywood actor Heath Ledger nearly 20 years ago still stings for his on-screen Dark Knight family. — Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 11 Sep. 2026

There is a feeling of humiliation that stings long after an event has passed. — Wilbert L. Cooper, Longreads, 25 Aug. 2026

February 19 – March 20 Your words may show where being misunderstood still stings. — Tarot.com, The Orlando Sentinel, 3 Aug. 2026

For van Ess, the decision particularly stings because Google Earth has long been regarded as one of the best tools to verify information posted on social media. — Geoff Brumfiel, NPR, 31 July 2026

The female locates and stings a large insect such as a cicada or katydid and then brings it back to the burrow. — Tim Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 26 July 2026

That still stings, even if Wicky wasn’t one of the three to attempt a penalty. — Sam McDowell 9, Kansas City Star, 9 July 2026

If feedback stings, take a breath, separate taste from task, and keep what improves the result. — Tarot.com, Sun Sentinel, 28 June 2026