as in harassment
the act of making unwelcome intrusions upon another
this perpetual bugging while I'm working is driving me nuts!
Synonyms & Similar Words
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1
as in bothering
to disturb the peace of mind of (someone) especially by repeated disagreeable acts
these incessant phone calls are really starting to bug me
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in worrying
to thrust oneself upon (another) without invitation
I hate to bug you, but could you help me move this table?
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of bugging
Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 3 Mar. 2026
Clara could hear Dune’s sister, Fern, in the background bugging Dune to resume their chess game.
—Literary Hub, 2 Mar. 2026
That thing’s been bugging on him for a while.
—Pete Sweeney, Kansas City Star, 29 Dec. 2025
Then Julian dropped one of his wireless earbuds into Olympia’s purse, using it as a crude bugging device.
—Noel Murray, Vulture, 12 Dec. 2025
Co-worker bugging you during heads down time?
—Sam Woodward, USA Today, 10 Oct. 2025
Verb
And also, Bill has to be home and also not bugging me.
—Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 3 Mar. 2026
Clara could hear Dune’s sister, Fern, in the background bugging Dune to resume their chess game.
—Literary Hub, 2 Mar. 2026
That thing’s been bugging on him for a while.
—Pete Sweeney, Kansas City Star, 29 Dec. 2025
Then Julian dropped one of his wireless earbuds into Olympia’s purse, using it as a crude bugging device.
—Noel Murray, Vulture, 12 Dec. 2025
Co-worker bugging you during heads down time?
—Sam Woodward, USA Today, 10 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bugging
Noun
-
Tennis players on both tours have become accustomed to receiving abuse and harassment on social media, most prevalently from bettors who have lost money on their matches.—
James Hansen,
New York Times,
8 Mar. 2026
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That includes avoiding activities such as harassment, infringing on privacy rights or recording sensitive information.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
8 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Mass incarceration has led to a fast-growing bloc of citizens who either are legally barred from voting or have just stopped bothering.—
Kevin B. Smith,
The Conversation,
2 Mar. 2026
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Stop bothering me with things that don’t make sense.—
Nick Canepa,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
28 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Nothing’s worse than worrying about an overly revealing neckline or an itchy zipper midway through dinner.—
Malia Griggs,
Glamour,
3 Mar. 2026
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The Spurs are worrying about problems like this in the immediate, while the Bulls are far off from worrying about game-plan intricacies determining their success.—
Joel Lorenzi,
New York Times,
2 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Detainees struggle to obtain medication and healthcare, lose concerning amounts of weight because of a lack of food, and live in fear of private security guards known to use force to put down disturbances.—
Morgan Lee,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Mar. 2026
-
Games between Rangers and Celtic are heavily policed and often lead to disturbances around the city of Glasgow, where both clubs are based.—
Luke Bosher,
New York Times,
8 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Sometimes, rage bait can be relatively harmless – a recipe that contains disgusting food combinations or someone annoying their pet, partner or sibling.—
Issy Ronald,
CNN Money,
1 Dec. 2025
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But what’s been annoying me even more is that these women should have been trained by producers to start recording on their own cell phones if drama starts to unfold after cameras go down.—
Tom Smyth,
Vulture,
12 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Wear gloves to avoid irritating your skin.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
28 Feb. 2026
-
The Seminole-Palm Harbor contest got a bit dicey in the second half, with questionable calls irritating players, coaches and fans, most notably on the Seminole side.—
Chris Hays,
The Orlando Sentinel,
24 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
But so often left unsaid by Gu are the moral ambiguities that come with choosing to represent a country that has been heavily criticized by Human Rights Watch, among other watchdog groups, for denying rights of freedom of expression and for persecuting government critics.—
Zak Keefer,
New York Times,
17 Feb. 2026
-
Troops are occupying our cities and persecuting our people.—
Maria Guinnip,
Oklahoman,
21 Jan. 2026
Verb
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This alternating and reciprocal motion is not just about getting you from point A to point B.—
Dana Santas,
CNN Money,
12 Mar. 2026
-
So a little less than half of the time in between the Bolt ending production and today was spent just getting everything set up in the factory and getting that line going again.—
Joel Feder,
The Drive,
12 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bugging.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bugging. Accessed 14 Mar. 2026.
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