1
as in speck
a very small piece
had only a nubbin of crayon left
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in root
the central part or aspect of something under consideration
this nubbin of the intelligence report is the prediction that the country's government will soon fall
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of nubbin
Secchi’s ragù is the opposite of bouncy meat nubbins bobbing in tomato sauce.
—
Chris Morocco, Bon Appetit Magazine, 16 Apr. 2025
Double-tapping the nubbin now pops up a menu with volume and microphone controls and voice typing.
—PCMAG, 17 Jan. 2025
The Carbon has two sets of pointing devices: a smallish touchpad, and ThinkPads' trademark TrackPoint keyboard nubbin with three mouse buttons.
—PCMAG, 17 Jan. 2025
Double-tapping the nubbin now pops up a menu with volume and microphone controls and voice typing.
—PCMAG, 17 Jan. 2025
Ground nubbins of paprika, cumin, sage and black pepper that have moldered into flavorless, colored molecules.
—Scott Hocker, theweek, 23 Dec. 2024
Heffernan, a gravely captivating newcomer, wraps each expression and gesture around a hard little nubbin of distrust.
—Justin Chang, The New Yorker, 25 Oct. 2024
Being a bit of a handy man in a fight himself, Father Ryan taught Frankie how to roll with a punch, how to upset a right swing with a left stab to his shoulder, and how to swing in with a right cross to the nubbin of the chin while his man was off keel.
—Westbrook Pegler, New York Daily News, 18 Jan. 2024
That changed at 1:03 a.m. on Dec. 5 when 192 giant lasers at the laboratory’s National Ignition Facility blasted a small cylinder about the size of a pencil eraser that contained a frozen nubbin of hydrogen encased in diamond.
—Kenneth Chang, BostonGlobe.com, 13 Dec. 2022
Chris Morocco, Bon Appetit Magazine, 16 Apr. 2025
Double-tapping the nubbin now pops up a menu with volume and microphone controls and voice typing.
—PCMAG, 17 Jan. 2025
The Carbon has two sets of pointing devices: a smallish touchpad, and ThinkPads' trademark TrackPoint keyboard nubbin with three mouse buttons.
—PCMAG, 17 Jan. 2025
Double-tapping the nubbin now pops up a menu with volume and microphone controls and voice typing.
—PCMAG, 17 Jan. 2025
Ground nubbins of paprika, cumin, sage and black pepper that have moldered into flavorless, colored molecules.
—Scott Hocker, theweek, 23 Dec. 2024
Heffernan, a gravely captivating newcomer, wraps each expression and gesture around a hard little nubbin of distrust.
—Justin Chang, The New Yorker, 25 Oct. 2024
Being a bit of a handy man in a fight himself, Father Ryan taught Frankie how to roll with a punch, how to upset a right swing with a left stab to his shoulder, and how to swing in with a right cross to the nubbin of the chin while his man was off keel.
—Westbrook Pegler, New York Daily News, 18 Jan. 2024
That changed at 1:03 a.m. on Dec. 5 when 192 giant lasers at the laboratory’s National Ignition Facility blasted a small cylinder about the size of a pencil eraser that contained a frozen nubbin of hydrogen encased in diamond.
—Kenneth Chang, BostonGlobe.com, 13 Dec. 2022
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nubbin
Noun
-
The whole process is more NASA than NASCAR in that there’s not a speck of grease or oil on the bright, white vinyl flooring and everybody’s hands are clean.—
Kevin Baxter,
Los Angeles Times,
25 May 2025
-
Or a percentage of a fraction of a risk — better lock him up, than risk a speck of backlash.—
David Katz,
IndieWire,
15 May 2025
Noun
-
The rugged limestone walls reached to a ceiling with natural skylights, from which aerial roots of ficus trees hung like decorative drapery.—
Erik Trinidad,
Travel + Leisure,
21 May 2025
-
Change the water every day or two to keep the roots healthy.—
The New York Times,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
21 May 2025
Noun
-
Each shot is a singular moment in time, and plates are sometimes imbued with not just the emotional weight of the image but also flecks of dust kicked up by passing dump trucks full of debris.—
Marah Eakin,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Apr. 2025
-
Then, a volunteer lit the pyre, and flecks of ashes swirled in the air.—
Sui-Lee Wee,
New York Times,
11 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Leadership wisdom is a combination of head, hunch and heart.—
Gregory Stebbins,
Forbes.com,
29 May 2025
-
All of our hearts are broken … our sadness is gut wrenching - there’s a hole, something is missing.—
Mitchell Willetts,
Kansas City Star,
29 May 2025
Noun
-
Don't load it up with more than 8 pounds of gear though, and avoid anything with pointy bits, as there's no padding here.—
Scott Gilbertson,
Wired News,
25 May 2025
-
People were impressed … and a little bit terrified.—
TJ Macias,
Kansas City Star,
24 May 2025
Noun
-
Another trap is building a product that unrelated to your core expertise.—
Melissa Houston,
Forbes.com,
23 May 2025
-
There have been proposed hypotheses as to how the Moon could have developed a core dynamo.—
Jennifer Ouellette,
ArsTechnica,
23 May 2025
Noun
-
This approach has proved enormously successful, explaining everything from the behavior of subatomic particles to the evolution of the entire universe.—
Paul Sutter,
Space.com,
23 May 2025
-
Since higher concentrations of aerosol particles creates clouds that are more reflective of the sun’s rays, the strength of an area’s aerosol particle sources matters.—
Laura Baisas,
Popular Science,
22 May 2025
Noun
-
When beta-carotene isn't present, the kernels are pale white.—
Karla Walsh,
Better Homes & Gardens,
25 May 2025
-
Rather than constantly chasing the newest shiny kernel of knowledge, aim for depth and breadth.—
Dennis Kozak,
Forbes.com,
23 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Nubbin.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nubbin. Accessed 4 Jun. 2025.
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