as in teasing
to subject (someone) to constant scoldings and sharp reminders
He's always badgering me about the dishes.
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Recent Examples of badgering
The coding craze spread quickly, from parents badgering their kids to drop the English major and opt for a STEM degree—and former President Barack Obama even urged people to learn to code.
—
Jake Angelo, Fortune, 26 Feb. 2026
Falcinelli continued badgering the officers about his phone.
—Devoun Cetoute, Miami Herald, 24 Feb. 2026
The future five-time Super Bowl MVP was with his family, sitting five rows from the top of the stadium, badgering his parents to buy him an oversized foam finger.
—Daniel Brown, New York Times, 1 Feb. 2026
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
Impatient investors have been badgering the company for several years to cash in some of its more valuable assets.
—Greg Petro, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2025
Poor people know the intimate, badgering pangs of hunger, but in Ireland, the memory of the 1845-1848 Famine—the Great Hunger, when one million died from starvation and disease, and another million emigrated—still aches.
—Philip Metres
august 27, Literary Hub, 27 Aug. 2025
Trump has been badgering Powell and other Fed officials to cut rates for months, but Powell has said the independent agency isn’t influenced by politics and will do what’s best for the economy.
—Paul Davidson, USA Today, 23 Aug. 2025
Jake Angelo, Fortune, 26 Feb. 2026
Falcinelli continued badgering the officers about his phone.
—Devoun Cetoute, Miami Herald, 24 Feb. 2026
The future five-time Super Bowl MVP was with his family, sitting five rows from the top of the stadium, badgering his parents to buy him an oversized foam finger.
—Daniel Brown, New York Times, 1 Feb. 2026
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
Impatient investors have been badgering the company for several years to cash in some of its more valuable assets.
—Greg Petro, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2025
Poor people know the intimate, badgering pangs of hunger, but in Ireland, the memory of the 1845-1848 Famine—the Great Hunger, when one million died from starvation and disease, and another million emigrated—still aches.
—Philip Metres
august 27, Literary Hub, 27 Aug. 2025
Trump has been badgering Powell and other Fed officials to cut rates for months, but Powell has said the independent agency isn’t influenced by politics and will do what’s best for the economy.
—Paul Davidson, USA Today, 23 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for badgering
Verb
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Ahead of the release of Morally Gray, Quinn’s social media have been teasing the actor’s upcoming narration with one clip of him notably tapping his wrist, something his Tell Me Lies character did to Grace Van Patten’s Lucy to help reduce her anxiety and calming the nervous system.—
Lexy Perez,
HollywoodReporter,
19 Feb. 2026
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Here, Ryan breaks down the ending of the show’s latest chapter, sharing the thinking behind a few key plotlines, and teasing a small detail about Season 4, which is currently being written.—
Jake Kring-Schreifels,
Time,
19 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Every day the press corps descended on both teams with pestering questions, some of which were obvious plants to promote products.—
Sally Jenkins,
The Atlantic,
9 Feb. 2026
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The strengths that those same opponents will spend long hours trying to account for — Nix’s pestering speed, a relentless pass-rush that produced a franchise-record 68 sacks, including four of Lance — aren’t changing either.—
Nick Kosmider,
New York Times,
5 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Badgering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/badgering. Accessed 27 Feb. 2026.
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