How to Use a thorn in the/someone's flesh/side in a Sentence
a thorn in the/someone's flesh/side
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Gallaher has been a thorn in the side of the village for years.
—Corrinne Hess, Journal Sentinel, 3 Jan. 2023
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The bond market has been a thorn in the side of equities lately.
—Jim Cramer, CNBC, 25 Oct. 2024
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The network's Farda news service reports intensely on life in Iran and is a thorn in the side of the regime there.
—David Folkenflik, NPR, 10 Mar. 2025
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Sturges has been a thorn in the side of Crosby and Judd during recent public meetings.
—Robert Anglen, The Arizona Republic, 30 Nov. 2022
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The rule has been a thorn in the side of defendants -- including record labels and major artists -- for decades.
—Jem Aswad, chicagotribune.com, 5 Oct. 2020
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The world’s most admirable NGOs are a thorn in the side of authoritarians.
—Benny Avni, WSJ, 28 Oct. 2021
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As a musician, he’s always been a thorn in the side of mainstream country music.
—Josh Crutchmer, Rolling Stone, 10 Oct. 2023
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Surging abuse of the drug has become a thorn in the side of the Saudi government, which has taken steps to curb smuggling efforts.
—Sarah Dadouch, Washington Post, 30 Nov. 2022
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Alinejad is a journalist and dissident with a large online following who has long been a thorn in the side of the regime.
—Corky Siemaszko, NBC News, 30 Jan. 2024
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Despite the easing of the inflation rate, still-high prices remain a thorn in the side of consumers, which may explain the dismal Gallup Poll results.
—Jill Schlesinger, The Mercury News, 12 Nov. 2024
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Chaos has convulsed the heart of the European Union whose sanctions and military support for Kyiv have proven to be a thorn in the side of Putin's intentions.
—Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 8 Dec. 2024
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Guerrero’s absence from the game was deeply felt, like a thorn in the side of an otherwise glorious victory.
—Wade Davis, Rolling Stone, 17 Dec. 2022
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Presiding over it all will be Justice Engoron, a charismatic and eccentric judge who has been a thorn in the side of Mr. Trump and his lawyers for more than a year.
—William K. Rashbaum, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2023
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Sinema has already been a key holdout on parts of the president's domestic agenda -- a thorn in the side of progressives.
—Rachel Scott, ABC News, 9 Dec. 2022
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Inflation has been a thorn in the side of the Fed for more than two years now, but Hatzius believes the central bank may have defeated its greatest enemy.
—Bywill Daniel, Fortune, 5 Sep. 2023
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The concept of meme stocks has been a thorn in the side of short sellers — traders who bet that stocks will fall by borrowing shares and selling them high with the belief that they can be repurchased later at a lower cost.
—Rocio Fabbro, Quartz, 29 Mar. 2024
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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
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Netflix — which has never been willing to give their films a traditional theatrical release — has long been a thorn in the side of theater owners.
—Pamela McClintock, The Hollywood Reporter, 25 Apr. 2022
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Johnson did lose 93 Republican votes, and the approach landed him in hot water with conservatives and deficit hawks who have been a thorn in the side of GOP leaders for nearly a decade.
—Marianna Sotomayor, Washington Post, 14 Nov. 2023
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The lesser prairie chicken, which was listed in 2023, is similarly a thorn in the side of many Republicans lawmakers.
—Benji Jones, Vox, 10 Feb. 2025
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As global companies ramp up efforts to bring their staff back to the office, experts have warned there is a growing wave of resentment that could prove a thorn in the side of company cultures for years to come.
—Byeleanor Pringle, Fortune, 6 Oct. 2023
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The 23-year-old’s combination of accuracy with his arm and elusiveness with his legs proved a thorn in the side of the Bengals defense all evening at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati.
—Ben Morse, CNN, 24 Sep. 2024
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Manchin, a moderate who has often been a thorn in the side of Democratic leadership, opted to leave the party and register as an independent in May.
—Kaia Hubbard, CBS News, 21 Oct. 2024
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From its launch in 2021, Hindutva Watch has been a thorn in the side of Hindu nationalists who have been provoking anti-Muslim sentiment for years.
—Parth M.n., Los Angeles Times, 30 Oct. 2023
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While the queen’s steady consistency was largely considered a boon for the monarchy, her children and grandchildren’s lives have occasionally been a thorn in the side of monarchists.
—Rachel Elbaum, NBC News, 8 Sep. 2022
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Adebayo’s averages of 19 points, 10 rebounds, four assists and about a steal and block per game are modest in comparison to Embiid, but the Heat big man has historically been a thorn in the side of the Knicks in the playoffs.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 16 Apr. 2024
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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
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The Fed may be looking to pause or even reverse interest rate hikes in the next few months, given inflation is falling and the jobs market, which has been a thorn in the side of battling high inflation, is finally weakening.
—Q.ai - Powering A Personal Wealth Movement, Forbes, 17 July 2023
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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
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Inside, angry protesters ransacked spaces where justices discuss cases and decisions, a deeply symbolic target as the court was seen as a thorn in the side of Mr. Bolsonaro.
—Whitney Eulich, The Christian Science Monitor, 9 Jan. 2023
Some of 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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