1
as in wears
to damage or diminish by continued friction
move that rope so the sharp edge of the hull doesn't gall it
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in bothers
to disturb the peace of mind of (someone) especially by repeated disagreeable acts
humming through your nose like that absolutely galls me
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for galls
Verb
-
In the campaign, the modern Godfather of Autotune wears lab goggles and red & blue layered button-downs under a crisp white scientist coat while holding up the boot.—
Amber Corrine,
VIBE.com,
13 Oct. 2025 -
This directly helped inspire the flesh masks that Leatherface wears in the Chainsaw films.—
Keith Langston,
PEOPLE,
11 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
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
Verb
-
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
-
The news irritates Lord Lovat, knowing that if the MacKenzie brothers thought Ellen had run off with Malcom Grant, and Dougal (Sam Retford) was dumb enough to beat Malcom as a result, there has to be a moral lapse in judgment somewhere.—
Lincee Ray Published,
EW.com,
22 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
When people stop looking for work, unemployment improves on paper even as productive capacity erodes in reality.—
Katica Roy,
Fortune,
15 Oct. 2025
-
When trust erodes, so does civic life.—
Ugo Troiano,
Oc Register,
15 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
Verb
-
Reese’s fans should go straight for the Peanut Butter Cup flavor, which scratches that candy bar itch without the sugar crash.—
Emily Farris,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
8 Oct. 2025
-
How to get tickets For shoppers like Agresta, whether the needle ever scratches the grooves is beside the point.—
Heather Bushman,
IndyStar,
1 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
Verb
-
Chinch bugs overwinter in moist, deep thatch.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
Southern Living,
17 Oct. 2025
-
Daily Stride Comfort No-show Socks There is nothing that bugs me more than no-show socks that curl up underneath your foot minutes into wearing them.—
Melony Forcier,
Travel + Leisure,
5 Oct. 2025
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Cite this Entry
“Galls.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/galls. Accessed 19 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share