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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of chafes
Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 13 Feb. 2026
What follows is an absurd reckoning that mixes surreal humor and domestic drama as Shula chafes against her relatives’ hysterical funeral planning.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 9 Dec. 2025
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
Verb
Throughout, emotion churns and chafes against a backdrop of political unrest, corporate malfeasance, and the everyday horrors that erode modern life.
—Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 13 Feb. 2026
What follows is an absurd reckoning that mixes surreal humor and domestic drama as Shula chafes against her relatives’ hysterical funeral planning.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 9 Dec. 2025
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
-
If something irritates you, the Aries moon encourages you to speak up.—
USA TODAY,
USA Today,
21 Feb. 2026
-
There’s another distinctly New York habit that irritates Manville — at the end of the performances, theatergoers leap to their feat, not just to applaud, but to whip out their cellphones to record the curtain call.—
Brent Lang,
Variety,
16 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Colin cooks Ray meals, sleeps on the floor while Ray takes the bed, lets Ray shave his hair off, and wears a lock on a chain around his neck.—
Jackson McHenry,
Vulture,
20 Feb. 2026
-
The straight edge feels almost refreshingly new and when Rihanna wears it, the look naturally gains an extra dose of coolness.—
Lina-Marie Baatz,
Glamour,
20 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Think of something that annoys you, connect it to masculinity by adding bro, and proceed as though that bro were a category of person.—
Dan Brooks,
The Atlantic,
26 Feb. 2026
-
One of its two young sibling protagonists, Amber (Bianca Belle), channels her feelings about the recent death of her mother into drawings of creatures born out of her troubled imagination, some of whom enact violence against the classmate who annoys her.—
Alison Willmore,
Vulture,
1 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
While sponges and gentle scrubbers are safe for stainless steel, do not use steel wool or abrasive scouring pads, which can leave permanent scratches.—
Daley Quinn,
Southern Living,
26 Feb. 2026
-
Make sure to use high-quality silver polish to avoid damaging it and have fine scratches removed, but be sure not to over-polish it.—
Kylie Petty,
Better Homes & Gardens,
26 Feb. 2026
Verb
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When voter registration statistics appear to exceed plausible eligible-population benchmarks, public confidence erodes, even if there is an administrative explanation.—
Reardon Sullivan,
Baltimore Sun,
19 Feb. 2026
-
That erodes the simplicity people often associate with owning physical gold.—
Angelica Leicht,
CBS News,
19 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
One thing that bothers him, though, is the calls from GVA asking for cash to shore up financing on the underwater properties as loan rates skyrocketed and monthly debt servicing led to losses.—
Paul Flahive,
Austin American Statesman,
16 Feb. 2026
-
Most people are able to put the splint away once their plantar fasciitis no longer bothers them.—
BestReviews,
Mercury News,
6 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
What Peter and his team do is take the negative and take the abrasions out of it and reproduce it at its highest quality.—
Jim Hemphill,
IndieWire,
22 Feb. 2026
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The teenage girl suffered abrasions and was taken to the same hospital where she was listed in serious condition, police said.—
Deanese Williams-Harris,
Chicago Tribune,
21 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
This particular aspect of the show frays the gripping tone that had been so masterfully crafted from its opening scene.—
Aramide Tinubu,
Variety,
22 Oct. 2025
-
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 Feb. 2026.
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