as in pains
a sharp unpleasant sensation usually felt in some specific part of the body
those hunger pangs that strike you in the middle of the afternoon
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Recent Examples of pangs
Maddie Connors, Los Angeles Times, 16 Mar. 2026
Minnesota fans may have had some mild pangs over parting with Buium or Rossi, but a mid- to late-20s pick for arguably the best defenseman on the planet?
—Sean McIndoe, New York Times, 11 Mar. 2026
The album’s Bandcamp blurb shouts out Ghédalia Tarzatès, the late French composer who collaged his wails and lamentations in the endangered Ladino language to evoke pangs of existential angst.
—H.d. Angel, Pitchfork, 6 Feb. 2026
Everyone’s blood sugar levels sporadically spike, and that’s normal, but keeping it steady helps prevent energy crashes, hunger pangs, and mood swings, Dardarian says.
—Julia Ries Wexler, Outside, 4 Feb. 2026
Packing your own treats not only saves money between meals, but also keeps mood-tanking hunger pangs at bay.
—Alesandra Dubin, Travel + Leisure, 20 Jan. 2026
And dehydration—which tends to shoot up during the winter thanks in part to the drier air—can also spur hunger pangs and cravings if your body misinterprets the signals.
—Caroline Tien, SELF, 15 Jan. 2026
The moment is fleeting, though, interrupted by the sharp pangs of rapidly escalating synthesizers that create a sudden sense of claustrophobic exhilaration.
—Literary Hub, 14 Jan. 2026
How Popcorn Affects Your Stomach When your stomach starts growling between meals, popcorn might be just the thing to alleviate those annoying hunger pangs.
—Ann Pietrangelo, Verywell Health, 22 Dec. 2025
Noun
The book cover trend, imbued with nostalgia for childhood, promises fiction that grapples with the pangs of adulthood in an age of precarity.
—Maddie Connors, Los Angeles Times, 16 Mar. 2026
Minnesota fans may have had some mild pangs over parting with Buium or Rossi, but a mid- to late-20s pick for arguably the best defenseman on the planet?
—Sean McIndoe, New York Times, 11 Mar. 2026
The album’s Bandcamp blurb shouts out Ghédalia Tarzatès, the late French composer who collaged his wails and lamentations in the endangered Ladino language to evoke pangs of existential angst.
—H.d. Angel, Pitchfork, 6 Feb. 2026
Everyone’s blood sugar levels sporadically spike, and that’s normal, but keeping it steady helps prevent energy crashes, hunger pangs, and mood swings, Dardarian says.
—Julia Ries Wexler, Outside, 4 Feb. 2026
Packing your own treats not only saves money between meals, but also keeps mood-tanking hunger pangs at bay.
—Alesandra Dubin, Travel + Leisure, 20 Jan. 2026
And dehydration—which tends to shoot up during the winter thanks in part to the drier air—can also spur hunger pangs and cravings if your body misinterprets the signals.
—Caroline Tien, SELF, 15 Jan. 2026
The moment is fleeting, though, interrupted by the sharp pangs of rapidly escalating synthesizers that create a sudden sense of claustrophobic exhilaration.
—Literary Hub, 14 Jan. 2026
How Popcorn Affects Your Stomach When your stomach starts growling between meals, popcorn might be just the thing to alleviate those annoying hunger pangs.
—Ann Pietrangelo, Verywell Health, 22 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pangs
Noun
-
Iran’s political leadership has been at pains to dispel reports of infighting and to project a unified approach to the country’s military objectives and negotiating strategy.—
Mostafa Salem,
CNN Money,
22 Apr. 2026
-
The pressures of fame and the pains of Michael’s brand of friendlessness are barely explored, beyond the requisite scenes of screaming fans crowding outside the family estate and a terrified Michael attempting to get away from them (while still politely waving).—
Kate Erbland,
IndieWire,
21 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The 36-year-old has dealt with lower-body aches and pains throughout his Yankees tenure, and the tennis elbows that forced him to miss the first few months of the 2025 season still require maintenance.—
Gary Phillips,
New York Daily News,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Mary Jannotta sliced meat and cheese behind deli counters at Acme and Pathmark supermarkets in the Philadelphia suburbs for decades, developing aches that came with working on her feet.—
Craig R. McCoy,
CNN Money,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Yes, DiVincenzo’s absence hurts Minnesota’s prospects of making a deep playoff push.—
Jace Frederick,
Twin Cities,
26 Apr. 2026
-
Inflation hurts on so many levels.—
Susan Tompor,
USA Today,
26 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Researchers suggested that future studies should include people who actually experience tingles to better understand how ASMR might help with mental health and relaxation.—
Lucy Notarantonio,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
The shower curtain opens, revealing an old woman, who stabs and decapitates Mary.—
Therie Hendrey-Seabrook,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
18 Mar. 2026
-
But this person who was a friend, who owes her career to me, just stabs me in the back.—
Maer Roshan,
HollywoodReporter,
10 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pangs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pangs. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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