1
as in teaser
a person who causes repeated emotional pain, distress, or annoyance to another
she can be a very cruel tease when she happens upon an unpopular girl who is easily hurt
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in nuisance
one who is obnoxiously annoying
my youngest brother is a complete tease, following me around everywhere and aping my every move
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to joke
to make fun of in a good-natured way
likes to tease her twin brother about his seemingly endless string of girlfriends
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in to taunt
to attack repeatedly with mean put-downs or insults
grew up being teased because his parents were hog farmers
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in harassment
the act of making unwelcome intrusions upon another
stop that teasing before you make the baby cry
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in joking
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
2
as in taunting
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
1
as in kidding
to make fun of in a good-natured way
likes to tease her twin brother about his seemingly endless string of girlfriends
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in mocking
to attack repeatedly with mean put-downs or insults
grew up being teased because his parents were hog farmers
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of tease
Ian Servantes, Footwear News, 18 May 2026
In its hyper-focus on Moulin himself, the film forgets to incorporate the wider world, including and especially the question of who might have betrayed him — a real mystery it half-teases before ignoring.
—Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 17 May 2026
K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 12 June 2026
In addition to the tension with the Native Americans, the Ingalls face fever, wolves and a prairie fire to name a few events teased in the clip.
—Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 11 June 2026
Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 19 Mar. 2026
Overall, Mau took his time letting mixes build, extending a teasing, slow burn style that exemplified restraint and good taste, and always paid off when the beat dropped.
—Katie Bain, Billboard, 16 Mar. 2026
Ross Andersen, The Atlantic, 12 June 2026
For June, in Miami, that’s a teasing treat.
—Howard Cohen
june 1, Miami Herald, 1 June 2026
Jack Smart, PEOPLE, 12 June 2026
After months of teasing Pocket Bronze and Highlight Milk across our Instagram and TikTok feeds, the wait is finally over.
—Shani Cohen, Glamour, 10 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for tease
Noun
After sparking anticipation with a tease at Paris Fashion Week, Satisfy and Adidas have now unleashed the start of their partnership.
—Ian Servantes, Footwear News, 18 May 2026
In its hyper-focus on Moulin himself, the film forgets to incorporate the wider world, including and especially the question of who might have betrayed him — a real mystery it half-teases before ignoring.
—Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 17 May 2026
Verb
This supernovela, a term used to describe high-budget soapy dramas, looks ultra-addictive and is already teasing a second season.
—K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 12 June 2026
In addition to the tension with the Native Americans, the Ingalls face fever, wolves and a prairie fire to name a few events teased in the clip.
—Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 11 June 2026
Noun
The one teasing bit of historical intrigue comes when Le Bail’s lawyer (Elijah Wood) insists that the rules state each clan must attack Grace and Faith using weapons from the era in which their ancestors made their satanic pact.
—Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 19 Mar. 2026
Overall, Mau took his time letting mixes build, extending a teasing, slow burn style that exemplified restraint and good taste, and always paid off when the beat dropped.
—Katie Bain, Billboard, 16 Mar. 2026
Adjective
The tiny humans sometimes linger in the blank space of your mind, staring back at you in a teasing way.
—Ross Andersen, The Atlantic, 12 June 2026
For June, in Miami, that’s a teasing treat.
—Howard Cohen
june 1, Miami Herald, 1 June 2026
Verb
Notably, Disclosure Day didn't feature end-credits sequence teasing more to come.
—Jack Smart, PEOPLE, 12 June 2026
After months of teasing Pocket Bronze and Highlight Milk across our Instagram and TikTok feeds, the wait is finally over.
—Shani Cohen, Glamour, 10 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for tease
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tease
Noun
-
And though fans are eager to see their favorite characters on screen, many are discouraged by the teaser's new animation style.—
Greta Cross,
USA Today,
16 June 2026
-
In February, Oseman unveiled the book's cover on Instagram alongside a teaser of the story ahead.—
Lily Brown,
PEOPLE,
16 June 2026
Noun
-
And even then, referees seemed to regard injuries as nuisances that stopped the flow of the game.—
Joshua P. Cohen,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2026
-
As Part 108 and other advances allow autonomous drones to surge, regulators will also have to consider public concerns about privacy, malicious actions and nuisance.—
Agamemnon Crassidis,
The Conversation,
11 June 2026
Verb
-
White joked that Cunningham, who missed last week’s win over the Chicago Sky, should have gotten the PRP shot sooner.—
James Boyd,
New York Times,
17 June 2026
-
Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer remained confident in the turf at the stadium and joked how World Cup participants don’t get the full experience of the stadium without the glare.—
Cal Phillips
June 17,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
17 June 2026
Verb
-
The woman alleged that Jackson repeatedly refused to delete the video and then taunted her with it.—
Gary Klein,
Los Angeles Times,
11 June 2026
-
When Metcalf and others asked him to leave, Anthony taunted and provoked Metcalf, took out a knife and stabbed him, prosecutor Bill Wirskye said, according to KTVT.—
Eric Levenson,
CNN Money,
9 June 2026
Noun
-
Still, the star did not name her harassers.—
Chanel Vargas,
InStyle,
22 May 2026
-
Most harassers do not harass others in front of someone else.—
Briana Mascaro,
Forbes.com,
20 May 2026
Noun
-
Underpinning it all, and a big part of why Grella’s words touched a raw nerve, is a spiky rivalry between the two sporting nations that carries some angst and underdog annoyance, and has the Australian public and national team genuinely irked.—
Tom Bogert,
New York Times,
16 June 2026
-
Everything about the place signals a level of unrestricted aesthetic devotion at which money seems almost an abstract annoyance.—
Helen Rosner,
New Yorker,
14 June 2026
Verb
-
The connection to nature at Vista Celestial is truly profound, with wildlife waiting for you at the door—I'm not kidding, at one point, a capuchin monkey walked onto our patio to say hello.—
Christina Perrier,
InStyle,
8 June 2026
-
And even while kidding, Kupp couldn’t help but say out loud what many Rams followers are thinking.—
Steve Henson,
Los Angeles Times,
4 June 2026
Noun
-
Aaron escapes his torturers, first by rooting himself in the town’s only movie theater open to Black people, and then by lying about his age and enlisting in the Navy at 16.—
Meredith Maran,
Los Angeles Times,
1 June 2026
-
Incredibly, one of Schiller's torturers, Jorge Delgado - the Sun Gym member who had first told Lugo about Schiller and his millions - ended up helping the federal government make their case.—
Troy Roberts,
CBS News,
8 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tease.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tease. Accessed 18 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
