as in ailments
an abnormal state that disrupts a plant's or animal's normal bodily functioning
half of the staff is out sick with the usual wintertime ails
Synonyms & Similar Words
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as in bothers
to trouble the mind of; to make uneasy
parents who were at a loss to explain what was ailing their normally vivacious daughter
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of ails
Jordan Campbell, New York Times, 1 Sep. 2025
Kathy Barnes, Better Homes & Gardens, 7 Oct. 2025
There simply doesn't seem to be a quick fix available for what ails the Texans offense.
—Jacob Camenker, USA Today, 28 Sep. 2025
Tatis is expected to stay home at least another day, as the Padres await results of tests to see what ails him.
—Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Sep. 2025
Naming what ails you is not the same as overcoming it.
—Hena Bryan, Refinery29, 26 Aug. 2025
No, this is not an instant fix for everything that ails Bungie.
—Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2025
Yordan Alvarez’s potential return by the end of this week does offer hope for a turnaround, but Alvarez can’t mask everything that ails this teetering team.
—Chandler Rome, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2025
But Buttigieg might not provide the cure for what ails the party, political observers say.
—Amie Parnes, The Hill, 1 Aug. 2025
Noun
City may well have believed that a summer break would cure their ails and time would simply consign last season’s mid-season collapse to room 101, but the rest of the league does not forget.
—Jordan Campbell, New York Times, 1 Sep. 2025
Verb
The idea of being wrapped in a little wood house feels like the cure for whatever ails you.
—Kathy Barnes, Better Homes & Gardens, 7 Oct. 2025
There simply doesn't seem to be a quick fix available for what ails the Texans offense.
—Jacob Camenker, USA Today, 28 Sep. 2025
Tatis is expected to stay home at least another day, as the Padres await results of tests to see what ails him.
—Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Sep. 2025
Naming what ails you is not the same as overcoming it.
—Hena Bryan, Refinery29, 26 Aug. 2025
No, this is not an instant fix for everything that ails Bungie.
—Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2025
Yordan Alvarez’s potential return by the end of this week does offer hope for a turnaround, but Alvarez can’t mask everything that ails this teetering team.
—Chandler Rome, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2025
But Buttigieg might not provide the cure for what ails the party, political observers say.
—Amie Parnes, The Hill, 1 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ails
Noun
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But, Diabanté questions, isn’t a world without strife, oppression, war, famine, poverty and all other societal ailments what humans have been struggling for all along?—
Natalie Oganesyan,
Deadline,
8 Nov. 2025
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The Heat had a few of its best players out because of injuries on Saturday, but a few others played through their ailments.—
Anthony Chiang,
Miami Herald,
8 Nov. 2025
Verb
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What about him specifically bothers you especially in terms of poisoning the youth?—
Jayson Buford,
Rolling Stone,
3 Nov. 2025
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Really, the accuracy is the one thing that bothers me with him.—
Mike Sando,
New York Times,
3 Nov. 2025
Noun
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According to the American Mosquito Control Association, mosquitoes are not only a nuisance but also a public health concern, capable of carrying diseases like West Nile virus.—
Connie Etemadi,
USA Today,
7 Nov. 2025
-
The process of pruning involves removing dead, diseased, damaged, or crossing branches that can attract pests and be an entryway for diseases.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
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For example, Mark Jaffe, who leads the Greater New York Chamber of Commerce, worries Mamdani’s proposals for city-run grocery stores would cut into business at bodegas.—
Ramishah Maruf,
CNN Money,
6 Nov. 2025
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McKellar worries that kids who are afraid of math tend to grow into adults who avoid numbers.—
Lauren Brown West-Rosenthal,
Parents,
5 Nov. 2025
Noun
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With each pot, cast iron skillet, and cooking utensil, Gilmore exemplified this longstanding tradition in Black life, negotiating her identity in America and resisting the ills of racial segregation that pervaded nearly every aspect of her community.—
Time,
Time,
6 Nov. 2025
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That solves a lot of problems, a lot of ills of society.—
Liz Hoffman,
semafor.com,
4 Nov. 2025
Verb
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What concerns you most about today's online security risks?—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
7 Nov. 2025
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The case also concerns tariffs imposed on China, Mexico and Canada, as well as a baseline 10% levy slapped on nearly all imports.—
Max Zahn,
ABC News,
5 Nov. 2025
Noun
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That’s different that the crisis caused when formula produced by Abbott was linked to infant deaths and illnesses in 2022.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
9 Nov. 2025
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For less severe illnesses, people will usually recover with rest and hydration.—
Maia Pandey,
jsonline.com,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Another possibility is that there is a relic magnetic field that exists between galaxies which remains from the early universe and disturbs low-energy gamma-rays.—
Robert Lea,
Space.com,
5 Nov. 2025
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The water is perfectly clear — until someone brushes the side of the cave or disturbs the soft bottom, sending fine silt particles billowing into the beam of a headlamp.—
Jennifer Walker,
CNN Money,
18 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ails.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ails. Accessed 14 Nov. 2025.
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