as in pains
a sharp unpleasant sensation usually felt in some specific part of the body
a dull pounding ache in his head
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Recent Examples of aches
Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 28 Apr. 2026
Mary Jannotta sliced meat and cheese behind deli counters at Acme and Pathmark supermarkets in the Philadelphia suburbs for decades, developing aches that came with working on her feet.
—Craig R. McCoy, CNN Money, 24 Apr. 2026
Growing up, Curp wrestled with fatigue and aches, not only on her skin, but also in her joints.
—Xitlalic Montelongo, Miami Herald, 23 Apr. 2026
And after 134,387 steps — which breaks down to about 67 miles — my feet still felt surprisingly fresh, with no aches or sweaty toes.
—Toni Sutton, PEOPLE, 23 Apr. 2026
Mary Jannotta sliced meat and cheese behind deli counters at Acme and Pathmark supermarkets in the Philadelphia suburbs for decades, developing aches that came with working on her feet.
—Craig R. McCoy, ProPublica, 23 Apr. 2026
Each tablet contains 200 milligrams of ibuprofen and is one of the best over-the-counter pain relievers for those suffering from conditions such as muscular aches, minor arthritis pain, toothache, backache, menstrual cramps or minor aches.
—Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 16 Apr. 2026
Watch for a bull’s-eye rash or flu-like symptoms including fever, body aches and nausea in the days and weeks following a bite.
—Allison Palmer, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Apr. 2026
Grandmother explains how each plant helps humans ease aches and pains, as well as offering good foods like honey from the bees that drink from plants.
—Mary Ann Grossmann, Twin Cities, 12 Apr. 2026
Melina Khan, USA Today, 6 May 2026
Early symptoms of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, the most common infection in the United States, include fatigue, fever and muscle aches, especially in the large muscle groups like the thighs, hips, back, and sometimes shoulders, the CDC said.
—Don Sweeney, Sacbee.com, 5 May 2026
Symptoms often begin with fever, fatigue and muscle aches, and in severe cases can progress rapidly to respiratory failure or kidney complications.
—Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 4 May 2026
Symptoms usually start to present one to eight weeks after exposure to the pathogen and can include fatigue, fever and muscle aches, while about half of all infected people can also experience headaches, dizziness, chills, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal pain.
—Adam Kovac, Scientific American, 4 May 2026
Symptoms include fever, fatigue and muscle aches — particularly in the thighs, hips, back and shoulders — along with coughing and shortness of breath.
—Cara Lynn Shultz, PEOPLE, 4 May 2026
When his tiredness turned into a 105 degree fever and body aches, his parents took him to a local emergency room.
—Kerry Breen, CBS News, 2 May 2026
Once again, my heart surprisingly aches for Kristen.
—Brian Moylan, Vulture, 30 Apr. 2026
Babesiosis, transmitted by blacklegged ticks, can cause flu-like symptoms — fever, chills, fatigue and muscle aches — and can be severe or fatal in older adults or those with weakened immune systems, according to scientists.
—Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 27 Apr. 2026
Noun
The 36-year-old has dealt with lower-body aches and pains throughout his Yankees tenure, and the tennis elbows that forced him to miss the first few months of the 2025 season still require maintenance.
—Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 28 Apr. 2026
Mary Jannotta sliced meat and cheese behind deli counters at Acme and Pathmark supermarkets in the Philadelphia suburbs for decades, developing aches that came with working on her feet.
—Craig R. McCoy, CNN Money, 24 Apr. 2026
Growing up, Curp wrestled with fatigue and aches, not only on her skin, but also in her joints.
—Xitlalic Montelongo, Miami Herald, 23 Apr. 2026
And after 134,387 steps — which breaks down to about 67 miles — my feet still felt surprisingly fresh, with no aches or sweaty toes.
—Toni Sutton, PEOPLE, 23 Apr. 2026
Mary Jannotta sliced meat and cheese behind deli counters at Acme and Pathmark supermarkets in the Philadelphia suburbs for decades, developing aches that came with working on her feet.
—Craig R. McCoy, ProPublica, 23 Apr. 2026
Each tablet contains 200 milligrams of ibuprofen and is one of the best over-the-counter pain relievers for those suffering from conditions such as muscular aches, minor arthritis pain, toothache, backache, menstrual cramps or minor aches.
—Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 16 Apr. 2026
Watch for a bull’s-eye rash or flu-like symptoms including fever, body aches and nausea in the days and weeks following a bite.
—Allison Palmer, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Apr. 2026
Grandmother explains how each plant helps humans ease aches and pains, as well as offering good foods like honey from the bees that drink from plants.
—Mary Ann Grossmann, Twin Cities, 12 Apr. 2026
Verb
Hantavirus symptoms Symptoms typically begin two to three weeks after infection, and can include fever, chills, muscle aches, vomiting and diarrhea.
—Melina Khan, USA Today, 6 May 2026
Early symptoms of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, the most common infection in the United States, include fatigue, fever and muscle aches, especially in the large muscle groups like the thighs, hips, back, and sometimes shoulders, the CDC said.
—Don Sweeney, Sacbee.com, 5 May 2026
Symptoms often begin with fever, fatigue and muscle aches, and in severe cases can progress rapidly to respiratory failure or kidney complications.
—Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 4 May 2026
Symptoms usually start to present one to eight weeks after exposure to the pathogen and can include fatigue, fever and muscle aches, while about half of all infected people can also experience headaches, dizziness, chills, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal pain.
—Adam Kovac, Scientific American, 4 May 2026
Symptoms include fever, fatigue and muscle aches — particularly in the thighs, hips, back and shoulders — along with coughing and shortness of breath.
—Cara Lynn Shultz, PEOPLE, 4 May 2026
When his tiredness turned into a 105 degree fever and body aches, his parents took him to a local emergency room.
—Kerry Breen, CBS News, 2 May 2026
Once again, my heart surprisingly aches for Kristen.
—Brian Moylan, Vulture, 30 Apr. 2026
Babesiosis, transmitted by blacklegged ticks, can cause flu-like symptoms — fever, chills, fatigue and muscle aches — and can be severe or fatal in older adults or those with weakened immune systems, according to scientists.
—Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 27 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for aches
Noun
-
Common symptoms people experience are headaches, muscle aches, serious fevers, coughing, chest pains, shortness of breath and nausea, according to Kaiser Permanente.—
Noe Padilla,
USA Today,
7 May 2026
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The pains and pleasures of family life are top of mind for her.—
Kate Erbland,
IndieWire,
7 May 2026
Verb
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This isn’t a contract that hurts the Jets’ cap flexibility now or in the future since there is no money guaranteed beyond the second year.—
Zack Rosenblatt,
New York Times,
9 May 2026
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But 24 goes too far, dilutes the field and hurts the regular season.—
Ian Miller OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
7 May 2026
Noun
-
The book cover trend, imbued with nostalgia for childhood, promises fiction that grapples with the pangs of adulthood in an age of precarity.—
Maddie Connors,
Los Angeles Times,
16 Mar. 2026
-
Minnesota fans may have had some mild pangs over parting with Buium or Rossi, but a mid- to late-20s pick for arguably the best defenseman on the planet?—
Sean McIndoe,
New York Times,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
My boredom typically spurs feelings of frustration, guilt, shame—and long nutritionless spells of goggling, slack-jawed, at celebrity news on my phone while the world throbs around me.—
Daniel Smith,
The Atlantic,
27 Feb. 2026
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Pain that is not a word throbs in his shoulders, awakens him each morning.—
Rosa Lyster,
Harpers Magazine,
6 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Researchers suggested that future studies should include people who actually experience tingles to better understand how ASMR might help with mental health and relaxation.—
Lucy Notarantonio,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Aches.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/aches. Accessed 13 May. 2026.
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