as in uneasy
marked by or causing agitation or uncomfortable feelings
no more agitating waits to find out sports scores—get them instantly online!
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
2
as in bothering
to trouble the mind of; to make uneasy
there's no need to agitate the patient about little things
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in shaking
to make a series of small irregular or violent movements
set the washing machine so it will agitate for four minutes before going into the rinse cycle
Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in discussing
to talk about (an issue) usually from various points of view and for the purpose of arriving at a decision or opinion
a question which has been agitated by the legislature time and time again
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of agitating
Eleanor Mueller, semafor.com, 12 Mar. 2026
Waddell wanted Marchment for his energetic, agitating style of play.
—Aaron Portzline, New York Times, 19 Feb. 2026
The agitating action of a washer can cause the foam to break into pieces.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, The Spruce, 17 Feb. 2026
The dollar rallied, even though Warsh has been agitating for more rate cuts, which tend to undermine the dollar’s value.
—Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 3 Feb. 2026
This is why experts recommend vacuuming in different directions and thoroughly agitating the carpet piles.
—Nafeesah Allen, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 Feb. 2026
With its ethnic and regional diversity, and with some groups openly agitating for separation, the risk of fragmentation is a distinct possibility.
—Nadeen Ebrahim, CNN Money, 16 Jan. 2026
Lululemon Athletica founder Chip Wilson has been agitating for change, and the outspoken critic now has activist investor Elliott Investment Management weighing in on a potential chief executive officer candidate.
—Vicki M. Young, Footwear News, 18 Dec. 2025
Washing machines take care of that with their tumbling or agitating action.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 27 Nov. 2025
Verb
Already-skeptical House Republicans are agitating for House Speaker Mike Johnson to go to conference on the bill so the lower chamber can make its own changes.
—Eleanor Mueller, semafor.com, 12 Mar. 2026
Waddell wanted Marchment for his energetic, agitating style of play.
—Aaron Portzline, New York Times, 19 Feb. 2026
The agitating action of a washer can cause the foam to break into pieces.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, The Spruce, 17 Feb. 2026
The dollar rallied, even though Warsh has been agitating for more rate cuts, which tend to undermine the dollar’s value.
—Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 3 Feb. 2026
This is why experts recommend vacuuming in different directions and thoroughly agitating the carpet piles.
—Nafeesah Allen, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 Feb. 2026
With its ethnic and regional diversity, and with some groups openly agitating for separation, the risk of fragmentation is a distinct possibility.
—Nadeen Ebrahim, CNN Money, 16 Jan. 2026
Lululemon Athletica founder Chip Wilson has been agitating for change, and the outspoken critic now has activist investor Elliott Investment Management weighing in on a potential chief executive officer candidate.
—Vicki M. Young, Footwear News, 18 Dec. 2025
Washing machines take care of that with their tumbling or agitating action.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 27 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for agitating
Adjective
-
Many travelers feel 'uneasy' about going abroad.—
Kathleen Wong,
USA Today,
9 Mar. 2026
-
The United States and Israel’s widening war with Iran has stricken an already uneasy global economy with a new bout of uncertainty.—
Mirtha Donastorg,
AJC.com,
4 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Mix flour and remaining 1/4 cup Guinness, stirring until smooth.—
Cathy Thomas,
Oc Register,
9 Mar. 2026
-
Versatile enough for a variety of cooking applications, wooden spoons are a staple to have in the kitchen, and this set includes 10-, 12-, and 14-inch sizes perfect for stirring a big pot of soup, sautéing veggies, or mixing up cake batters.—
Alicia Geigel,
Southern Living,
8 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Mass incarceration has led to a fast-growing bloc of citizens who either are legally barred from voting or have just stopped bothering.—
Kevin B. Smith,
The Conversation,
2 Mar. 2026
-
Stop bothering me with things that don’t make sense.—
Nick Canepa,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
28 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
There is the interceptors overhead, there's the loud booms, hotel windows shaking and alerts going off on your phone at all hours of the day and night.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
15 Mar. 2026
-
The energy was on 10 from the moment Lil Fame and Billy Danze stepped onstage, bass shaking the walls like sheet metal in high wind.—
Dash Lewis,
Pitchfork,
14 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
When discussing the effect of Ireland on America--23 presidents were of Irish descent--it should be noted that America has also had an effect on Ireland.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
14 Mar. 2026
-
Cycling journalist Ian Dille seems particularly snarky in addressing the Strickland/Armstrong relationship, smiling and laughing while discussing a situation that ended in murder.—
Daniel Fienberg,
HollywoodReporter,
13 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Though intensely disturbing, a scene where a TV shows a distorted iteration of a character that Ohm watched as a kid rings out of place, even if the context involves his mother’s tragic passing.—
Carlos Aguilar,
Variety,
15 Mar. 2026
-
If true, this is obviously disturbing.—
Letters to the Editor,
The Orlando Sentinel,
15 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The team also revealed that the resulting dielectric elastomer actuator (DEA) fibers exhibit intrinsic softness, with an overall Young’s modulus of 37 MPa, enabling electrically controllable actuation modes with high freedom in bending, compression, and three-dimensional(3D) swirling motions.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
11 Mar. 2026
-
That type of public funding may be harder to come by with so many questions now swirling around Hill and McCrory.—
Andrew Brown,
Hartford Courant,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Also, higher oil prices mean more income for Russia, and the war in Iran is distracting the world from Putin’s war in Ukraine.—
Tom Zirpoli,
Baltimore Sun,
10 Mar. 2026
-
Additional creature comforts also can be nice but distracting.—
Metro Creative Services,
Boston Herald,
9 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Agitating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/agitating. Accessed 16 Mar. 2026.
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