Phrase guide

sticky end

noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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No pronunciation record was provided for this word.

1

noun

Meaning 1

An unpleasant death, demise or conclusion, especially when deserved or brought about by one's own actions.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • The kidnapper came to a sticky end when he crashed his car into a tree.
  • It was a sticky end to the relationship.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

an end of DNA in which one strand of the double helix extends a few units beyond the other

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: deoxyribonucleic acid, desoxyribonucleic acid, DNA

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.