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Definition of needle verb from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

needle

verb
 
/ˈniːdl/
 
/ˈniːdl/
(informal)
Verb Forms
present simple I / you / we / they needle
 
/ˈniːdl/
 
/ˈniːdl/
he / she / it needles
 
/ˈniːdlz/
 
/ˈniːdlz/
past simple needled
 
/ˈniːdld/
 
/ˈniːdld/
past participle needled
 
/ˈniːdld/
 
/ˈniːdld/
-ing form needling
 
/ˈniːdlɪŋ/
 
/ˈniːdlɪŋ/
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  1. needle somebody to deliberately annoy somebody, especially by criticizing them continuously synonym antagonize
    • Don't let her needle you.
    • He knew Jo was trying to needle him into losing his temper.
    Word OriginOld English nǣdl, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch naald and German Nadel, from an Indo-European root shared by Latin nere ‘to spin’ and Greek nēma ‘thread’.
See needle in the Oxford Advanced American Dictionary
utilize
verb
 
 
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