heckled; heckling
ˈhe-k(ə-)liŋ 
: to harass and try to disconcert with questions, challenges, or gibes : badger
Examples of heckle in a Sentence
Several protesters were heckling the speaker at the rally.
The players were being heckled by the fans.
People in the crowd were booing and heckling as she tried to speak.
Recent Examples on the Web
That understanding seems to be wholly absent from the people who think that, say, heckling Raskin into silence is also a form of democracy.
—
Bret Stephens, The Mercury News, 9 Apr. 2024
Even before the campus protests, the university was the focus of a free-speech battle when student protesters heckled Stuart Kyle Duncan, a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit who had come to speak with the university chapter of the Federalist Society.
—Stephanie Saul, New York Times, 4 Apr. 2024
Even outside Michigan, Biden and his aides have been heckled over the administration’s strong support for Israel in its war in Gaza at campaign events.
—Tribune News Service, Orange County Register, 27 Feb. 2024
In a speech Monday at Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, S.C., Biden was heckled by a handful of protesters demanding a ceasefire in Gaza.
—Susan Page, USA TODAY, 10 Jan. 2024
During her performances, Martell would be heckled and called racist names, but Singleton told her to keep going and try to not address the audience.
—Rebecca Aizin, Peoplemag, 29 Mar. 2024
These crowds heckled her during performances and complained to promoters about the invasion of a previously lily-white space.
—Kimberly Bryant, Essence, 29 Mar. 2024
There was heckling from GOP ranks, and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., pulled on a red MAGA cap (a violation of House rules, by the way) as Biden entered the chamber.
—Susan Page, USA TODAY, 8 Mar. 2024
Jim Gaffigan, a presenter, was rattled when the disruption began, losing his train of thought; later, the comedian Jimmy O. Yang likened it to being heckled.
—Kyle Buchanan, New York Times, 28 Feb. 2024
Bret Stephens, The Mercury News, 9 Apr. 2024
Even before the campus protests, the university was the focus of a free-speech battle when student protesters heckled Stuart Kyle Duncan, a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit who had come to speak with the university chapter of the Federalist Society.
—Stephanie Saul, New York Times, 4 Apr. 2024
Even outside Michigan, Biden and his aides have been heckled over the administration’s strong support for Israel in its war in Gaza at campaign events.
—Tribune News Service, Orange County Register, 27 Feb. 2024
In a speech Monday at Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, S.C., Biden was heckled by a handful of protesters demanding a ceasefire in Gaza.
—Susan Page, USA TODAY, 10 Jan. 2024
During her performances, Martell would be heckled and called racist names, but Singleton told her to keep going and try to not address the audience.
—Rebecca Aizin, Peoplemag, 29 Mar. 2024
These crowds heckled her during performances and complained to promoters about the invasion of a previously lily-white space.
—Kimberly Bryant, Essence, 29 Mar. 2024
There was heckling from GOP ranks, and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., pulled on a red MAGA cap (a violation of House rules, by the way) as Biden entered the chamber.
—Susan Page, USA TODAY, 8 Mar. 2024
Jim Gaffigan, a presenter, was rattled when the disruption began, losing his train of thought; later, the comedian Jimmy O. Yang likened it to being heckled.
—Kyle Buchanan, New York Times, 28 Feb. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'heckle.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Articles Related to heckle
Dictionary Entries Near heckle
Cite this Entry
“Heckle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/heckle. Accessed 24 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share