nipping
Americanadjective
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sharp or biting, as cold.
-
sarcastic; caustic.
adjective
-
sharp and biting
a nipping wind
-
sarcastic; bitter
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of nipping
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
More recently, the explosion in popularity for resale clothing and the growing use of GLP-1 drugs for weight loss have created more need for nipping and tucking what is in peoples’ closets.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 21, 2026
Claude-maker Anthropic has OpenAI, Google's Gemini and even Grok from xAI nipping at its heels in the market for professional AI.
From Barron's • Feb. 22, 2026
It was a superb delivery from Archer, nipping away from round the wicket.
From BBC • Dec. 5, 2025
Microsoft currently holds the rank of the third-largest U.S. company, but can it maintain its lead with Alphabet nipping at its heels?
From MarketWatch • Nov. 19, 2025
Toomer’s dogs swirled around them, nipping at each other, and keeping their distance from the Gray.
From "The Great Santini" by Pat Conroy
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
