as in harassment
the act of making unwelcome intrusions upon another
this perpetual bugging while I'm working is driving me nuts!
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
1
as in bothering
to disturb the peace of mind of (someone) especially by repeated disagreeable acts
these incessant phone calls are really starting to bug me
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in worrying
to thrust oneself upon (another) without invitation
I hate to bug you, but could you help me move this table?
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of bugging
Pete Sweeney, Kansas City Star, 29 Dec. 2025
Then Julian dropped one of his wireless earbuds into Olympia’s purse, using it as a crude bugging device.
—Noel Murray, Vulture, 12 Dec. 2025
Co-worker bugging you during heads down time?
—Sam Woodward, USA Today, 10 Oct. 2025
Verb
That thing’s been bugging on him for a while.
—Pete Sweeney, Kansas City Star, 29 Dec. 2025
Then Julian dropped one of his wireless earbuds into Olympia’s purse, using it as a crude bugging device.
—Noel Murray, Vulture, 12 Dec. 2025
Co-worker bugging you during heads down time?
—Sam Woodward, USA Today, 10 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bugging
Noun
-
Many of his victims said that their relationships with family members, employers and partners were irreparably harmed as a result of Hardy's hacking and harassment, which often included sending nude photos of his victims to people in their personal networks.—
Jessica Sager,
PEOPLE,
26 Jan. 2026
-
In September 2021, the Spirit fired head coach Richie Burke following allegations of emotional and verbal harassment.—
Emily Olsen,
New York Times,
24 Jan. 2026
Verb
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If your knee is bothering you, for instance, the vibration might distract your brain enough for the pain to temporarily retreat.—
Jennifer Heimlich,
Time,
23 Jan. 2026
-
Is a man bothering you at a bar?—
Anna Cafolla,
Vogue,
23 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Also worrying, said Malekan, is that the plan appeared designed to include all of its current business partners, some of which have direct financial ties to NYSE.—
Jeff John Roberts,
Fortune,
29 Jan. 2026
-
But Iranians have become angry and anxious, seeing footage of protesters shot and killed while worrying about what may happen next as the economy — the original focus of the protests — sinks further.—
Jon Gambrell,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Drinking has been found to increase the risk of many cancers, metabolic dysfunction, gut microbiome disturbances and mitochondrial toxins, Hyman said.—
Angelica Stabile,
FOXNews.com,
26 Jan. 2026
-
However, these components proved too vulnerable to the extreme conditions, including intense shock waves and aerodynamic disturbances at low altitudes.—
Chris Young,
Interesting Engineering,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Sometimes, rage bait can be relatively harmless – a recipe that contains disgusting food combinations or someone annoying their pet, partner or sibling.—
Issy Ronald,
CNN Money,
1 Dec. 2025
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But what’s been annoying me even more is that these women should have been trained by producers to start recording on their own cell phones if drama starts to unfold after cameras go down.—
Tom Smyth,
Vulture,
12 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Cold outdoor air plus active heat indoors can pull moisture from both the scalp and hair shaft, which can be irritating.—
Helen Carefoot,
Flow Space,
29 Jan. 2026
-
But for most of us and in our daily lives, epistemic trespassing is simply irritating.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Trump has repeatedly alleged that the South African government is actively persecuting white citizens, particularly farmers.—
Gabe Whisnant,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 Nov. 2025
-
The former human-rights lawyer entered on a tourist visa and filed for political asylum in October of that year, claiming the governments that succeeded Correa were persecuting him.—
Syra Ortiz Blanes,
Miami Herald,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Those eight factors are eating healthy, being active, not smoking, getting high sleep quality, and managing weight, cholesterol, blood sugar and blood pressure.—
Lily Hautau,
CNN Money,
29 Jan. 2026
-
Uhlaender, 41, won the race in skeleton, but the manipulation kept her from getting the requisite points to qualify for the upcoming Milan Cortina Winter Games.—
Steve Henson,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bugging.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bugging. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
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