1
as in frightening
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2
as in annoying
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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
Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, The Orlando Sentinel, 11 Feb. 2026
The Seattle defense, which nicknamed itself the Dark Side, lived in quarterback Drake Maye’s face, sacking him six times and harassing him into three turnovers.
—Jerry Brewer, New York Times, 9 Feb. 2026
The driver asked her harassing questions on the ride before stopping the car and raping her, Dean alleged in the lawsuit.
—Miguel Torres, Oklahoman, 6 Feb. 2026
And that instead of doxxing and harassing the creatives behind the show, people…shared genuine criticisms?
—Elizabeth Logan, Glamour, 4 Feb. 2026
He was prohibited from owning the weapons by a Sacramento Superior Court order that bars him from harassing, stalking and threatening an intimate partner, the indictment says.
—Sharon Bernstein, Sacbee.com, 31 Jan. 2026
Some Native Americans say ICE is harassing them Last year, Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren said that several tribal citizens reported being stopped and detained by ICE officers in Arizona and New Mexico.
—Graham Lee Brewer, Los Angeles Times, 30 Jan. 2026
That’s not first amendment, going in and harassing people in the middle church.
—Glenn Garner, Deadline, 30 Jan. 2026
Of course, these posts outing Khan as a potential Twitter troll—this time anonymously as compared to the troll activity on his own account—led to harassing tweets from pro-AEW accounts.
—Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 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
Ocasio 31 years ago in Bayamón, Puerto Rico, has certainly questioned the administration’s practice of harassing and breaking promises to Latinos, especially those from unstable nations who have sought asylum here.
—Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, The Orlando Sentinel, 11 Feb. 2026
The Seattle defense, which nicknamed itself the Dark Side, lived in quarterback Drake Maye’s face, sacking him six times and harassing him into three turnovers.
—Jerry Brewer, New York Times, 9 Feb. 2026
The driver asked her harassing questions on the ride before stopping the car and raping her, Dean alleged in the lawsuit.
—Miguel Torres, Oklahoman, 6 Feb. 2026
And that instead of doxxing and harassing the creatives behind the show, people…shared genuine criticisms?
—Elizabeth Logan, Glamour, 4 Feb. 2026
He was prohibited from owning the weapons by a Sacramento Superior Court order that bars him from harassing, stalking and threatening an intimate partner, the indictment says.
—Sharon Bernstein, Sacbee.com, 31 Jan. 2026
Some Native Americans say ICE is harassing them Last year, Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren said that several tribal citizens reported being stopped and detained by ICE officers in Arizona and New Mexico.
—Graham Lee Brewer, Los Angeles Times, 30 Jan. 2026
That’s not first amendment, going in and harassing people in the middle church.
—Glenn Garner, Deadline, 30 Jan. 2026
Of course, these posts outing Khan as a potential Twitter troll—this time anonymously as compared to the troll activity on his own account—led to harassing tweets from pro-AEW accounts.
—Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for harassing
Adjective
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Trish Walters of Portland, Oregon, another passenger, recounted the frightening incident on social media.—
Jessica Mekles,
FOXNews.com,
14 Feb. 2026
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As unsettling events ripple through the town, Henry begins to grapple with the frightening possibility that he may be connected to the darkness taking hold.—
Kennedy French,
Variety,
10 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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There is nothing more annoying than corners coming undone mid-sleep.—
Jasmine Gomez,
Travel + Leisure,
16 Feb. 2026
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One layer gives me all-over, medium-to-full coverage, a few additional dots to my cheeks and chin cover up the annoying splotchiness that's showed up on my skin recently.—
Sophia Panych,
Allure,
16 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Also on Tuesday, Indivisible CT is conducting an anti-ICE rally on the state Capitol lawn, taking political aim at a federal agency that has fallen sharply out of public favor after killing two American citizens in Minnesota and roughing up scores of others.—
Don Stacom,
Hartford Courant,
17 Feb. 2026
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The ex-husband of former First Lady Jill Biden, who has been accused of killing his wife late last year, pleaded not guilty in the case during a virtual court appearance on Tuesday.—
Jessica Schladebeck,
Mercury News,
17 Feb. 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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Take Keke Palmer in a butter yellow and cream vintage Dior bustier dress with a scarf-tie waist, or Kate Hudson, who combined all the mid-10s and boho trends by wearing a leathery peplum and balloon pants by Chloé.—
Anna Cafolla,
Vogue,
16 Feb. 2026
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The post comes days after Meghan made a surprise solo appearance at the Fifteen Percent Pledge Gala in Los Angeles, wearing a dusty rose Harbison Studio gown with black piping and a dramatic black cape.—
Kim Willis,
USA Today,
15 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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According to Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, in an interview televised by the German Press Agency, Waller said that the verdict could have a chilling effect on how climbers approach trips into the mountains in Austria.—
Owen Clarke,
Outside,
21 Feb. 2026
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But layered onto Savannah’s celebrity is the general mystery surrounding the chilling case.—
Jami Ganz,
New York Daily News,
21 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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There, Arco finds an inquisitive ally in Iris (Romy Fay), a girl his age, but with a different experience growing up.—
Carlos Aguilar,
Variety,
6 Feb. 2026
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Caretakers describe him as social, inquisitive and highly intelligent.—
Duante Beddingfield,
Freep.com,
30 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Harassing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/harassing. Accessed 22 Feb. 2026.
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