as in frustrated
bothered by many problems or worries; very worried or anxious
An overbooked flight only added to the exasperation of the harried travelers.
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as in sacked
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2
as in harassed
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of harried
The Week Us, TheWeek, 10 Feb. 2026
For anyone seeking to avoid the construction gates, confusing detours and streets clogged with harried motorists, local transit agencies have a solution.
—Rachel Swan, San Francisco Chronicle, 6 Feb. 2026
Playing the harried mother of Macauley Culkin’s scheming son Kevin, O’Hara became a generation of moviegoers’ ideal image of a loving, concerned matriarch.
—Tim Grierson, Rolling Stone, 30 Jan. 2026
In 1990, she was cast in Home Alone as the harried mom of Macaulay Culkin’s Kevin.
—Victoria Edel, PEOPLE, 30 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for harried
Adjective
O’Hara found her highest-profile role in Home Alone (1990), as a harried suburban mom who accidentally abandons her 8-year-old son.
—The Week Us, TheWeek, 10 Feb. 2026
For anyone seeking to avoid the construction gates, confusing detours and streets clogged with harried motorists, local transit agencies have a solution.
—Rachel Swan, San Francisco Chronicle, 6 Feb. 2026
Playing the harried mother of Macauley Culkin’s scheming son Kevin, O’Hara became a generation of moviegoers’ ideal image of a loving, concerned matriarch.
—Tim Grierson, Rolling Stone, 30 Jan. 2026
In 1990, she was cast in Home Alone as the harried mom of Macaulay Culkin’s Kevin.
—Victoria Edel, PEOPLE, 30 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for harried
Recent Examples of Synonyms for harried
Adjective
-
After the game, footage captured by The Athletic showed Carvajal in a visibly frustrated exchange with head fitness coach Antonio Pintus.—
Guillermo Rai,
New York Times,
23 Apr. 2026
-
In the weeks before Abraham Lincoln’s assassination, the alcoholic, frustrated cabaret singer/force of nature that is Mary Todd Lincoln deals with secret yearnings, as does her husband.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
21 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Ravens quarterbacks were sacked 45 times in 2025, including 38 against Lamar Jackson.—
Adam Thompson,
CBS News,
23 Apr. 2026
-
On the night their cup opponent sacked their second head coach in four months, four days before kick-off, with their campaign in tatters, United’s 20-man squad smashed through another brick wall.—
Beren Cross,
New York Times,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
My body, however, had become an object of desire—I was catcalled, harassed, or groped on the way home from the movies or school.—
Leila Mottley,
Vogue,
27 Apr. 2026
-
Supporters say Assembly Bill 2624, introduced by Assemblymember Mia Bonta, a Bay Area Democrat, aims to protect employees and volunteers at immigration support services facilities from being doxxed or harassed.—
Linh Tat,
Daily News,
24 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The secretary did not obtain permission from the White House to attend a political event and made an aggressive push for the president to endorse his son-in-law, reportedly causing senior White House staff to become annoyed with him.—
Robert Schmad,
The Washington Examiner,
19 Apr. 2026
-
Still annoyed, weirdly offended, and slightly spiraling.—
Jenna Ryu,
SELF,
6 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Magyar has called for all of Orbán’s cronies in the government to resign and has committed to holding to account those who plundered Hungary.—
Elizabeth Shackelford,
Chicago Tribune,
17 Apr. 2026
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The collapse of Prospect Medical, a for-profit hospital chain plundered by private equity and the company’s management, has generated a painful litany of woes.—
Peter Elkind,
ProPublica,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Leon scolded Justice Department attorneys for arguing that the entire project needed to go forward for national security reasons, before previously distinguishing between the bunker below ground and the ballroom above ground.—
Ted Johnson,
Deadline,
16 Apr. 2026
-
Government officials scolded young people for the signs of disrespect.—
Justin Spike,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Woe be to the moony boyfriend or, in Nel’s case, exasperated girlfriend (Agata Trzebuchowska), left behind to dust off the ash.—
Robert Abele,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Apr. 2026
-
PepsiCo began cutting prices on value brands like Chester’s and Santitas last spring to win back exasperated customers.—
Boston Herald Wire Services,
Boston Herald,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
In the 21st century, oil extraction has become a serious threat to Ecuadoran Amazonia, with large swaths of forest, often located in Indigenous territories, despoiled by the release of wastewater from the wells.—
Stanley Stewart,
Travel + Leisure,
10 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Harried.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/harried. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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