badger 1 of 2

Definition of badgernext

badger

2 of 2

noun

Synonym Chooser

How is the word badger distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of badger are bait, chivy, heckle, hector, and hound. While all these words mean "to harass by efforts to break down," badger implies pestering so as to drive a person to confusion or frenzy.

badgered her father for a car

When could bait be used to replace badger?

The words bait and badger are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, bait implies wanton cruelty or delight in persecuting a helpless victim.

baited the chained dog

When might chivy be a better fit than badger?

The words chivy and badger can be used in similar contexts, but chivy suggests persecution by teasing or nagging.

chivied the new student mercilessly

When is it sensible to use heckle instead of badger?

The synonyms heckle and badger are sometimes interchangeable, but heckle implies persistent annoying or belligerent interruptions of a speaker.

drunks heckled the stand-up comic

In what contexts can hector take the place of badger?

Although the words hector and badger have much in common, hector carries an implication of bullying and domineering.

football players hectored by their coach

When would hound be a good substitute for badger?

The meanings of hound and badger largely overlap; however, hound implies unrelenting pursuit and harassing.

hounded by creditors

How is the word badger distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of badger are bait, chivy, heckle, hector, and hound. While all these words mean "to harass by efforts to break down," badger implies pestering so as to drive a person to confusion or frenzy.

badgered her father for a car

When could bait be used to replace badger?

The words bait and badger are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, bait implies wanton cruelty or delight in persecuting a helpless victim.

baited the chained dog

When might chivy be a better fit than badger?

The words chivy and badger can be used in similar contexts, but chivy suggests persecution by teasing or nagging.

chivied the new student mercilessly

When is it sensible to use heckle instead of badger?

The synonyms heckle and badger are sometimes interchangeable, but heckle implies persistent annoying or belligerent interruptions of a speaker.

drunks heckled the stand-up comic

In what contexts can hector take the place of badger?

Although the words hector and badger have much in common, hector carries an implication of bullying and domineering.

football players hectored by their coach

When would hound be a good substitute for badger?

The meanings of hound and badger largely overlap; however, hound implies unrelenting pursuit and harassing.

hounded by creditors

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of badger
Verb
Not only in badgering a quarterback making his first start or in holding Tennessee without a touchdown. Parker Gabriel, Denver Post, 4 Jan. 2026 Jason Bateman shines in the scene with the Diamond District connect, fast-talking and badgering this guy within an inch of his life until Mancuso and Babbitt show up to take him out. Andy Andersen, Vulture, 19 Sep. 2025
Noun
This American groundhog tradition apparently started with German immigrants recalling the spring emergence of badgers and hedgehogs in the old country. Steven Sullivan, The Conversation, 26 Jan. 2026 It's become the boy who cried wolf, bear, moose, badger, wombat, elephant, natterjack toad, mandrel, meerkat, blue whale, lesser skink, prairie dog, ferret, wildebeest, dingo, tree kangaroo, sloth, anteater, blue-footed booby, Norwegian Blue, and half the catalog in the Museum of Natural History. New Atlas, 24 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for badger
Recent Examples of Synonyms for badger
Verb
  • This extension is a credit to Davis, who teased with talent during his first three seasons before becoming a consistent force in 2025.
    Zach Berman, New York Times, 8 Mar. 2026
  • The footage teases high-octane action, sharp dialogue, and moments designed to ignite audience reactions.
    Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 7 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • Cryptomeria thrives under challenging conditions, tolerating salt spray, deer and rabbit browsing, and hot, dry planting sites.
    Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 9 Mar. 2026
  • The 25-acre property, which also includes a saltwater pool and a wood sauna, regularly attracts wild boar, rabbits, foxes, and partridges.
    Austin Bush, Travel + Leisure, 9 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • Meanwhile, the individuals in question continue hounding her for autographs and photos.
    Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 10 Mar. 2026
  • Mittelstadt, who has been hounded by high expectations throughout his career due to the Sabres selecting him with the eighth overall pick in 2017, is a bit more reserved than the average, central-casting hockey player.
    Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 10 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • Carnivora, an order of mammals that includes foxes, are not permitted as pets, according to Evan LaCross, a DEM public affairs officer.
    Bailey Allen, Cape Cod Times, 7 Mar. 2026
  • Robin Hood was portrayed as a fox, Little John was depicted as a bear, Friar Tuck as a badger, Prince John as a lion, the sheriff of Nottingham as a wolf and Maid Marian as a vixen.
    Angelique Jackson, Variety, 6 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • Occasionally, another animal, such as a raccoon or dog, or a person, will accidentally eat an infected animal, or the slime of one, and contract the disease.
    Susanne Rust Follow, Los Angeles Times, 6 Mar. 2026
  • All of Mabel’s new forest friends—there are deer, rabbits, turtles, raccoons, and a singularly gloomy bear—bow down to a beaver sovereign, King George (Bobby Moynihan), a gregarious and naïve soul who embraces a humble, communal ideal of living.
    Justin Chang, New Yorker, 6 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • Wolverines are beagle-sized carnivores related to weasels, ermines, badgers, martens, otters, and black footed ferrets, all of which are native to this state.
    Krista Kafer, Denver Post, 3 Feb. 2026
  • The coastal marten, also known as the Humboldt marten, is about the size of a ferret and lives in coastal forests.
    Kerry Breen, CBS News, 29 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • Park staff are checking camera traps, wading out into the park's swampy wilderness and encouraging visitors to share any otter sightings.
    Sophie Hartley, IndyStar, 11 Feb. 2026
  • The little animals that will come to be emblematic of the 2026 Games are stoats, extremely cute critters that in real life are related to the weasel and the otter.
    Mark Scaglione, NBC news, 3 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • Directed by Daniel Chong, the movie is about a 19-year-old environmentalist who infiltrates the animal world in the body of a beaver.
    Lindsey Bahr, Fortune, 9 Mar. 2026
  • On a mission to save a beloved patch of nature from a construction project in the fictional town of Beaverton, the beaver-bodied Mabel inadvertently sparks an uprising among the animals that live there.
    Jackie Flynn Mogensen, Scientific American, 8 Mar. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Badger.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/badger. Accessed 11 Mar. 2026.

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