1
2
as in wears
to damage or diminish by continued friction
constant stepping on a rope will gradually chafe it, rendering it unsafe for rock climbing
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in annoys
to disturb the peace of mind of (someone) especially by repeated disagreeable acts
nothing chafes us so much as those telemarketers who call during the dinner hour
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in angers
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
2
as in scratches
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of chafes
Tim Grierson, Vulture, 26 Sep. 2025
Noun
Zwick is such a conventional filmmaker that DiCaprio chafes trying to break out of the Reluctant Hero straitjacket Zwick puts him in.
—Tim Grierson, Vulture, 26 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for chafes
Verb
-
The group exhausts and irritates opposing pitchers.—
Andy McCullough,
New York Times,
25 Oct. 2025
-
During his appearance on Josh Horowitz's Happy Sad Confused podcast alongside his The Roses costar Olivia Colman, the 49-year-old actor opened up about what irritates his family members.—
Ashlyn Robinette,
People.com,
28 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Greenwich Village still wears its history like a second skin, every street a pulse of old New York.—
Alaa Elassar,
CNN Money,
27 Oct. 2025
-
With one of largest concentrations of military bases in the country (each year, nearly 40,000 military trainees call it home), San Antonio wears its 300-year military legacy with pride.—
Symiah Dorsey,
Southern Living,
26 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Naturally, this annoys Alex to no end.—
Maggie Fremont,
Vulture,
17 Sep. 2025
-
This annoys his wife, who hankers after Bingley (sight unseen) as a future son-in-law.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
4 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The Pander fanny pack from Amazon is made with water-resistant nylon and stands up against scratches, promising long-lasting durability.—
Kristin Braswell,
Travel + Leisure,
25 Oct. 2025
-
Even worse, scratches, dents, and imperfections can stand out dramatically.—
Lauren Bengtson,
Better Homes & Gardens,
25 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The main channel of the Amazon River constantly erodes existing land and deposits new earth.—
Isa Cardona,
CNN Money,
23 Oct. 2025
-
As the seven-week timeline erodes, some lawmakers have also shown a desire to pass a short-term funding bill that would reopen the government until late next year — but Democrats have shown resistance to that idea, too.—
Jessie Opoien,
jsonline.com,
22 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Why ban books, Postman asked, if no one bothers to read them?—
Time,
Time,
10 Sep. 2025
-
What bothers her most is how the refusal seemed to change her brother’s behavior.—
Ashley Vega,
PEOPLE,
10 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
In terms of the types of injuries sustained, 35% were periocular lacerations (cuts near the eye), 16% were corneal abrasions, iritis (inflammation of the iris, the colored part of the eye) accounted for 8%, and contusions/bruises 5%.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
24 Oct. 2025
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An autopsy conducted on Campbell revealed significant amount of bruising and abrasions to the boy's head, face, torso, back and extremities.—
Adrienne Davis,
jsonline.com,
23 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Conjuring the troubled inner life of a young, beautiful and successful Buenos Aires fashion designer with an uncommon mix of stylistic rigor and feeling, the film frays your nerves.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
13 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Chafes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/chafes. Accessed 28 Oct. 2025.
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