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In its earliest uses in the 15th century, hackle denoted either a bird's neck plumage or an instrument used to comb out long fibers of flax, hemp, or jute. Apparently, some folks saw a resemblance between the neck feathers of domestic birds—which, on a male, become erect when the bird is defensive—and the prongs of the comb-like tool. In the 19th century, English speakers extended the word's use to both dogs and people. Like the bird's feathers, the erectile hairs on the back of a dog's neck stand up when the animal is agitated. With humans, use of the word hackles is usually figurative. When you raise someone's hackles, you make them angry or put them on the defensive.
Examples of hackle in a Sentence
Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times, 20 June 2025
As anticipated by Variety in April, preparations for the three-day nuptial festivities – reportedly expected to take place June 26-28 – have been raising the hackles of activists who claim that Venice is becoming a playground for the rich to the detriment of its inhabitants.
—Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 18 June 2025
When a seeming Good Samaritan character shows up—like Alice, heard only through the phone— our hackles are instantly raised — how can a voice so saccharine conjure so much fright?
—Ritesh Mehta, IndieWire, 14 Mar. 2025
Coulter has raised hackles in the past for taking ultra-hardline stands against immigration and immigrants, both legal and undocumented.
—Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 10 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hackle
Cite this Entry
“Hackle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hackle. Accessed 2 Jul. 2025.
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