as in bothered
to trouble the mind of; to make uneasy
parents who were at a loss to explain what was ailing their normally vivacious daughter
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Recent Examples of ailed
The same problems that have ailed the team all year persisted.
—
Kansas City Star, 21 Dec. 2025
That struggling Cincinnati defense has been the cure-all for anything that has ailed the Steelers’ offense in recent years.
—Mike Defabo, New York Times, 10 Nov. 2025
Most important, he’s been mentioned by Timberwolves coach Chris Finch as a solution for much of what has ailed Minnesota in the past.
—Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 17 Oct. 2025
Few would get out of bed with the flu-like symptoms that ailed Jordan in Game 5 of the 1997 NBA Finals.
—Devin Robertson, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Oct. 2025
Michigan State football coach Jonathan Smith is aiming to fix what ailed the Spartans offense in the second half of their Week 1 victory over Western Michigan.
—Christian Romo, Freep.com, 5 Sep. 2025
Although Hill later attributed his end-of-season outburst to frustration due to a fractured wrist that ailed him all season and the Dolphins’ lack of a playoff berth, his actions likely hurt many of his teammates.
—Miami Herald, 4 Sep. 2025
Kansas City Star, 21 Dec. 2025
That struggling Cincinnati defense has been the cure-all for anything that has ailed the Steelers’ offense in recent years.
—Mike Defabo, New York Times, 10 Nov. 2025
Most important, he’s been mentioned by Timberwolves coach Chris Finch as a solution for much of what has ailed Minnesota in the past.
—Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 17 Oct. 2025
Few would get out of bed with the flu-like symptoms that ailed Jordan in Game 5 of the 1997 NBA Finals.
—Devin Robertson, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Oct. 2025
Michigan State football coach Jonathan Smith is aiming to fix what ailed the Spartans offense in the second half of their Week 1 victory over Western Michigan.
—Christian Romo, Freep.com, 5 Sep. 2025
Although Hill later attributed his end-of-season outburst to frustration due to a fractured wrist that ailed him all season and the Dolphins’ lack of a playoff berth, his actions likely hurt many of his teammates.
—Miami Herald, 4 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ailed
Verb
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But something bothered her about the name.—
Ta-Nehisi Coates,
Vanity Fair,
26 Jan. 2026
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Schultz said he is not bothered by the criticism marking his seven-year tenure at the $301,000-a-year post.—
Tony Saavedra,
Oc Register,
24 Jan. 2026
Verb
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While this alarmed some users, this type of intrusive data harvesting is common on social media apps.—
Bobby Allyn,
NPR,
27 Jan. 2026
-
For those frustrated and alarmed by the killings and ICE’s aggressive tactics, the DMB said that their charity, Bama Works, have made donations to the ACLU and the ACLU of Minnesota.—
Gil Kaufman,
Billboard,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The orbit of this potential exomoon is tilted at around 60 degrees relative to the orbital plane of its parent planet, potentially indicating some type of interaction has disturbed this system at some point in its history.—
Robert Lea,
Space.com,
22 Jan. 2026
-
High wind also caused visibility problems near construction and agricultural areas where soil was disturbed, including land along I-70 and I-76 northeast of Denver.—
Bruce Finley,
Denver Post,
16 Jan. 2026
Verb
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This is a president who is distracted by things that don't matter to the American people at a moment where the American people are in crisis.—
NBC news,
NBC news,
11 Jan. 2026
-
Even the most emotionally invested of us can get distracted.—
Stuart Berman,
Pitchfork,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
With the blue recycling bags collected in the same trucks as regular trash, many were concerned nothing was being recycled at all.—
Tara Molina,
CBS News,
23 Jan. 2026
-
And the lack of a review process before action is taken has concerned free internet activists.—
Jacob Feldman,
Sportico.com,
23 Jan. 2026
Verb
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And critics have worried that the rural health care funding could be in jeopardy for states with policies that don’t align with the president’s.—
Kaitlyn Schallhorn,
Oc Register,
23 Jan. 2026
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The plan sparked an outcry from hospital physicians and nurses who worried that lower staffing levels, under an unfamiliar group, would put patients in harm's way.—
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel,
jsonline.com,
23 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
And the Rams were unable to overcome a special teams miscue, a theme that plagued them throughout the season.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Jan. 2026
-
Rodman was plagued by injury in 2025, using the first half of the year to recover from a lingering back issue.—
Melanie Anzidei,
New York Times,
25 Jan. 2026
Verb
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That pragmatism has unsettled the party’s conservative faction, led by the military, which is wary of his reform agenda and intent on preserving socialist discipline.—
Aniruddha Ghosal,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Jan. 2026
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And further details around how the money would be divided across everyone from maximum-salary stars to minimum-deal vets remain largely unsettled.—
Jacob Feldman,
Sportico.com,
22 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ailed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ailed. Accessed 29 Jan. 2026.
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