a thorn in the/someone's flesh/side
idiom
: a person or thing that repeatedly annoys someone or something or causes problems
He's been a thorn in my side for years.
a thorn in the side of the industry
Examples of a thorn in the/someone's flesh/side in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Bring in regional fans Games populated almost entirely by foreign tourists have long been a thorn in the side of locals.
—
Adam Minter, The Mercury News, 12 July 2024
Key elements of the upgrade include content aiming to keep consumers on the site for longer, as well as improved guidance on aspects like fit, in a drive to reduce return rates, which have become a thorn in the side for e-commerce players.
—Alex Wynne, WWD, 27 June 2024
Doocy, who covered President Biden’s campaign in 2020 and continued in the White House, has long been something of a thorn in the side of Biden’s press team, occasionally sparring during briefings with press secretary Karine jean-Pierre, and before that Jen Psaki.
—Alex Weprin, The Hollywood Reporter, 17 June 2024
Sign up These protests are nothing new, as political correctness has been a thorn in the side of comedians of every generation.
—Anya Jaremko-Greenwold, The Week Us, theweek, 16 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for a thorn in the/someone's flesh/side 
Adam Minter, The Mercury News, 12 July 2024
Key elements of the upgrade include content aiming to keep consumers on the site for longer, as well as improved guidance on aspects like fit, in a drive to reduce return rates, which have become a thorn in the side for e-commerce players.
—Alex Wynne, WWD, 27 June 2024
Doocy, who covered President Biden’s campaign in 2020 and continued in the White House, has long been something of a thorn in the side of Biden’s press team, occasionally sparring during briefings with press secretary Karine jean-Pierre, and before that Jen Psaki.
—Alex Weprin, The Hollywood Reporter, 17 June 2024
Sign up These protests are nothing new, as political correctness has been a thorn in the side of comedians of every generation.
—Anya Jaremko-Greenwold, The Week Us, theweek, 16 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for a thorn in the/someone's flesh/side
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'a thorn in the/someone's flesh/side.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“A thorn in the/someone's flesh/side.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/a%20thorn%20in%20the%2Fsomeone%27s%20flesh%2Fside. Accessed 27 Jul. 2024.
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