1
as in frightening
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2
as in annoying
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Dissimilar Words
as in killing
to use up all the physical energy of
had been visibly harassed by the demands of the presidency
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Recent Examples of harassing
Edmund H. Mahony, Hartford Courant, 1 Jan. 2026
The line is crossed when someone’s conduct at work becomes disrespectful, harassing, intimidating, discriminatory, or disruptive to the team.
—Johnny C. Taylor Jr, USA Today, 30 Dec. 2025
Jami Ganz, New York Daily News, 1 Apr. 2026
Fetzer said in an Instagram video that both cars were harassing them despite the cyclists following traffic rules in the bike lane.
—Hanna Wickes, Miami Herald, 30 Mar. 2026
In an Instagram video explaining the encounter, Fetzer says that there were two cars harassing him and his friend, despite their position in the bike lane and following the rules of the road.
—Grace Toohey, Los Angeles Times, 30 Mar. 2026
Nordquist says the suspect has been harassing her and other residents for weeks.
—Kayla Moeller, CBS News, 30 Mar. 2026
The guard then went to Ada’s table and — according to the girl’s parents — spoke to Ada and her mother aggressively about disrespecting and harassing people.
—Lisa Gutierrez, Kansas City Star, 26 Mar. 2026
Andrew Brenneman, 25, is charged in Kenton County District Court with domestic violence assault and harassing communications, both misdemeanors.
—Quinlan Bentley, Cincinnati Enquirer, 19 Mar. 2026
As part of his guilty plea, Daley admitted to placing multiple calls to a work line used by a member of Thompson’s family in the days after he was killed and leaving messages with threatening and harassing language.
—ABC News, 19 Mar. 2026
Randolph filed a restraining order alleging that Underwood placed a tracking device on her car, sent harassing messages from burner phones and appeared at her home uninvited.
—Peter White, Deadline, 19 Mar. 2026
Adjective
The first complaint, in which a clerk made similar accusations of abusive and harassing conduct, was filed with the circuit court in 2022, not long after Merriam’s appointment.
—Edmund H. Mahony, Hartford Courant, 1 Jan. 2026
The line is crossed when someone’s conduct at work becomes disrespectful, harassing, intimidating, discriminatory, or disruptive to the team.
—Johnny C. Taylor Jr, USA Today, 30 Dec. 2025
Verb
The woman, who was 52 at the time, allegedly began harassing Buckingham’s wife and son, dating back to 2021.
—Jami Ganz, New York Daily News, 1 Apr. 2026
Fetzer said in an Instagram video that both cars were harassing them despite the cyclists following traffic rules in the bike lane.
—Hanna Wickes, Miami Herald, 30 Mar. 2026
In an Instagram video explaining the encounter, Fetzer says that there were two cars harassing him and his friend, despite their position in the bike lane and following the rules of the road.
—Grace Toohey, Los Angeles Times, 30 Mar. 2026
Nordquist says the suspect has been harassing her and other residents for weeks.
—Kayla Moeller, CBS News, 30 Mar. 2026
The guard then went to Ada’s table and — according to the girl’s parents — spoke to Ada and her mother aggressively about disrespecting and harassing people.
—Lisa Gutierrez, Kansas City Star, 26 Mar. 2026
Andrew Brenneman, 25, is charged in Kenton County District Court with domestic violence assault and harassing communications, both misdemeanors.
—Quinlan Bentley, Cincinnati Enquirer, 19 Mar. 2026
As part of his guilty plea, Daley admitted to placing multiple calls to a work line used by a member of Thompson’s family in the days after he was killed and leaving messages with threatening and harassing language.
—ABC News, 19 Mar. 2026
Randolph filed a restraining order alleging that Underwood placed a tracking device on her car, sent harassing messages from burner phones and appeared at her home uninvited.
—Peter White, Deadline, 19 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for harassing
Adjective
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How about the less-frightening scenarios?—
Craig MacLellan,
Boston Herald,
3 Apr. 2026
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Now, parents who haven’t experienced the frightening effects of the highly contagious and fast-moving infection are increasingly opting out of vaccinating their kids against Hib.—
Erika Edwards,
NBC news,
2 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Plenty of would-be heroes pass through the inn on their way to save the world, and Nell is responsible for keeping the place running, serving food, and making sure all those annoying questers don’t cause too much chaos.—
Caroline Carlson,
Literary Hub,
1 Apr. 2026
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As most Angelenos know, anti-aging efforts come in many annoying forms.—
Rebecca Leib,
Los Angeles Times,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
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But last year a single pack was responsible for killing about 100 calves in less than seven months in the high ranchland of Sierra County north of Truckee, costing ranchers and the state millions and terrifying residents.—
Sharon Bernstein,
Sacbee.com,
8 Apr. 2026
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Prosecutors, meanwhile, argue that Clancy carefully planned and plotted before allegedly killing her three children by sending her husband out of the house.—
Chris Spargo,
PEOPLE,
8 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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For example, Americans living during World War II developed persecutory delusions involving Germans, while those living during the Cold War focused on communists.—
Alaina Vandervoort Burns,
The Conversation,
17 Dec. 2025
Adjective
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Structured as entries in Emily’s field journal, the novel lays out her aims, her curmudgeonly nature and her pestiferous relationship with one Wendell Bambleby — a charismatic fellow researcher and sometime rival who Emily suspects is a fairy himself.—
Amal El-Mohtar,
New York Times,
14 Apr. 2023
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The whole event was lousy with pestiferous Bible-banging.—
Charles P. Pierce,
Esquire,
12 Dec. 2017
Verb
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Curry, wearing a bulky wrap around his knee, leaned back and took a long, deep breath before exhaling as the game tipped off.—
Joseph Dycus,
Mercury News,
6 Apr. 2026
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Her heart features the side profiles of two residents wearing Indigenous attire in the foreground, and a map of the city’s East Side, with street names like Indiana Avenue, Holmes Street and Troost Avenue behind them.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
5 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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As a chilling rain started to fall, the group marched to the memorial for Renee Good, the mother shot to death in her vehicle by an ICE agent.—
Jeff Wagner,
CBS News,
3 Apr. 2026
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Despite this exemption, the bill is sure to have a chilling effect on health care, Ziegler said.—
SOPHIA PAFFENROTH,
ABC News,
2 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Soon a tunnel between the ships, then a meeting, with a friendly, inquisitive alien who looks like a sort of craggy spider/crab, whom Grace dubs Rocky.—
Katie Walsh,
Twin Cities,
21 Mar. 2026
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The inquisitive student was not a student at all, but a woman from Philadelphia named Bonnie Raines.—
Harmeet Kaur,
CNN Money,
20 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Harassing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/harassing. Accessed 11 Apr. 2026.
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