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
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.
Recent Examples of galls
What galls them is Toberoff’s tooth-and-nail negotiations and his insistence on becoming a producer himself, complete with credit and fees.
—
Tom Dotan, Vanity Fair, 23 Feb. 2026
What especially galls Marion is having eight touchdowns called back this season.
—Joe Davidson, Sacbee.com, 29 Oct. 2025
Tom Dotan, Vanity Fair, 23 Feb. 2026
What especially galls Marion is having eight touchdowns called back this season.
—Joe Davidson, Sacbee.com, 29 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for galls
Verb
-
Julianne Hough wears her shorty-shorts to show off her glorious dancer legs at the Disney Upfront in New York City on May 12.—
People Staff,
PEOPLE,
15 May 2026
-
Most of the shirts Mason wears follow a visual script that is different from your standardized button-downs.—
Leah Dolan,
CNN Money,
15 May 2026
Verb
-
This is hurtful and bothers me a lot.—
R. Eric Thomas,
Chicago Tribune,
5 May 2026
-
My fiance struggles with communication and tends to pretend nothing bothers him.—
Harriette Cole,
Mercury News,
4 May 2026
Verb
-
The impish half-smile that irritates opponents eventually returns to his face, though.—
Chris Smith,
Vanity Fair,
11 May 2026
-
Daisy is caught so off guard that her first reaction is to laugh, which irritates Ben.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Inconsistent tone weakens the brand, while inaccurate content or misaligned personalization erodes customer trust and costs conversions.—
Georg Ell,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2026
-
Democrats plan to push weekly war powers votes and military funding limits as Republican support erodes, partly driven by concerns about rising gas prices heading into November elections.—
Stephen Groves,
Los Angeles Times,
13 May 2026
Verb
-
What is the pettiest thing that annoys you during a race weekend?—
Jeff Gluck,
New York Times,
15 Apr. 2026
-
Or when Reggie purposefully annoys Arthur by having his son, Carmelo (Jalyn Hall), practice with his a cappella group in Arthur’s editing suite, a move that demonstrates the increasingly teasing affection between Arthur and Reggie.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
14 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Mobley departed with deep, visible scratches down the left side of his face, souvenirs from another street fight.—
Jason Lloyd,
New York Times,
14 May 2026
-
Last, but certainly not least from the Article Memorial Day sale, the brand’s Torme desk scratches the itch for office furniture that isn’t sterile or corporate-looking.—
Audrey Lee,
Architectural Digest,
11 May 2026
Verb
-
The coalition of supporters frays Still another issue is conflict within the legalization movement itself, particularly between the business and activist wings.—
William Garriott,
The Conversation,
17 Apr. 2026
-
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
Verb
-
When traveling, the EPA suggests inspecting any room visitors will be staying in for the presence of bed bugs.—
Colson Thayer,
PEOPLE,
20 Apr. 2026
-
As an existing subdivision — 99% of it vacant — Azure Vista offered hundreds of buildable vacant lots populated only by red ants, quail and Groucho Marx bugs.—
Eric DuVall,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
15 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Galls.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/galls. Accessed 17 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
