1
as in drills
to make a hole or series of holes in
some woodpecker bored holes in our tree in the backyard
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in wearies
to make weary and restless by being dull or monotonous
the professor's lifeless and unimaginative teaching style bored the students to death
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of bores
Judith Thurman, New Yorker, 29 Sep. 2025
Anyone who thinks English Heritage sites are run by bores is in for a surprise.
—Jordan Hoffman, Entertainment Weekly, 12 Sep. 2025
The researchers plan to expand their study to a larger number of boreholes, including water bores, to understand the full scope of the issue better nd find more opportunities to reduce emissions.
—Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 4 Sep. 2025
The times for the day’s bores are listed outside the visitor center, but on this mid-September day, birds began flocking around the banks of the Salmon River, announcing the bore’s arrival.
—Melanie Stetson Freeman, Christian Science Monitor, 28 Feb. 2025
Tarot.com, New York Daily News, 6 Mar. 2026
The invasive beetle bores into wood and kills ash trees by eating tissues under the bark.
—Caitlin Looby, jsonline.com, 23 Jan. 2026
But the patient, grinding work of peace implementation typically bores him.
—Bobby Ghosh, Time, 14 Oct. 2025
In the film, one glowing maggot scores an oversized moth, wraps it up, then bores through its eye before eating its living brain.
—Ann Patchett, New Yorker, 29 Sep. 2025
Noun
Her books were their progeny, Stein acknowledged, and without Alice’s mothering—and typing, proofreading, cooking, sewing, shopping, bookkeeping, and warding off bores—they might not have been born.
—Judith Thurman, New Yorker, 29 Sep. 2025
Anyone who thinks English Heritage sites are run by bores is in for a surprise.
—Jordan Hoffman, Entertainment Weekly, 12 Sep. 2025
The researchers plan to expand their study to a larger number of boreholes, including water bores, to understand the full scope of the issue better nd find more opportunities to reduce emissions.
—Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 4 Sep. 2025
The times for the day’s bores are listed outside the visitor center, but on this mid-September day, birds began flocking around the banks of the Salmon River, announcing the bore’s arrival.
—Melanie Stetson Freeman, Christian Science Monitor, 28 Feb. 2025
Verb
For instance, if a textbook bores you, try watching a documentary!
—Tarot.com, New York Daily News, 6 Mar. 2026
The invasive beetle bores into wood and kills ash trees by eating tissues under the bark.
—Caitlin Looby, jsonline.com, 23 Jan. 2026
But the patient, grinding work of peace implementation typically bores him.
—Bobby Ghosh, Time, 14 Oct. 2025
In the film, one glowing maggot scores an oversized moth, wraps it up, then bores through its eye before eating its living brain.
—Ann Patchett, New Yorker, 29 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bores
Noun
-
With that indelible Southern gift for pulling new lingo from thin air, the duo deploy yawns that stretch like bungee over Zaytoven-type keys.—
Olivier Lafontant,
Pitchfork,
13 Feb. 2026
-
The oohs and aahs over a 100-mph pitch have been replaced by yawns.—
Bill Shaikin,
Los Angeles Times,
18 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
VIPs expect a private chef, a driver to take them back and forth to the festival grounds or auxiliary events, private security, IV drips provided at home, an on-call cleaner and private tennis or pickleball lessons.—
Cerys Davies,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Apr. 2026
-
Rather than simply preventing drips, the mom continues transferring a significant portion of the ice cream into the cup — leaving noticeably less on the cone.—
Jordan Greene,
PEOPLE,
8 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bores.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bores. Accessed 11 Apr. 2026.
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