ruffle feathers
idiom
informal
: to upset or offend people
Her research has been ruffling feathers for years.
His critical remarks ruffled the feathers of the board members.
I agreed to do what they wanted because I didn't want to ruffle any feathers.
Examples of ruffle feathers in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Listen to this article 3 min The New York Giants appeared to ruffle feathers among Deion Sanders' family during the first round of the NFL Draft Thursday.
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Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 25 Apr. 2025
The stock market of late has been on a veritable roller coaster, Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency continues to ruffle feathers, Iran marches ever harrowingly closer to a nuclear weapon, and Russia and Ukraine get tantalizingly close to a ceasefire.
—Mark Davis, Newsweek, 14 Mar. 2025
Newton, specifically, isn’t afraid to ruffle feathers with the mic, doing so several times on his platform, 4th and 1.
—Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 11 Feb. 2025
Guadagnino doesn’t seem to care if presenting a flawed gay character will ruffle feathers.
—Rich Juzwiak, TIME, 6 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for ruffle feathers
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Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 25 Apr. 2025
The stock market of late has been on a veritable roller coaster, Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency continues to ruffle feathers, Iran marches ever harrowingly closer to a nuclear weapon, and Russia and Ukraine get tantalizingly close to a ceasefire.
—Mark Davis, Newsweek, 14 Mar. 2025
Newton, specifically, isn’t afraid to ruffle feathers with the mic, doing so several times on his platform, 4th and 1.
—Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 11 Feb. 2025
Guadagnino doesn’t seem to care if presenting a flawed gay character will ruffle feathers.
—Rich Juzwiak, TIME, 6 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for ruffle feathers
Cite this Entry
“Ruffle feathers.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ruffle%20feathers. Accessed 1 Jul. 2025.
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