1
as in taunting
to attack repeatedly with mean put-downs or insults
a small group of jeering protesters hassled the politically active singer at every appearance she made
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in bickering
to express different opinions about something often angrily
constantly hassled with the chef over the need to cook pork thoroughly
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 hassling
Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 1 Dec. 2025
Verb
Eventually, Bournemouth were so sick of Sadiki’s hassling that substitute Lewis Cook jutted an elbow at him.
—Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 1 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hassling
Adjective
-
To get a sense of his whole deal, look no further than the half-mocking, half-earnest title of his latest album, Country!—
Jonathan Bernstein,
Rolling Stone,
23 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Heck, every club’s supporters were taunting them this way.—
Daniel Taylor,
New York Times,
14 May 2026
-
Hide and Seek follows a new string of murders featuring a dangerous stalker who kidnaps their victims before killing them, taunting them via text in the format of a popular Danish children’s counting rhyme (though the words chosen by the killer are far more violent).—
Barry Levitt,
Time,
7 May 2026
Verb
-
The two get to bickering about her terrible track record, with Dennis hilariously failing to realize that this accusation includes him among the questionable men.—
Ile-Ife Okantah,
Vulture,
27 Apr. 2026
-
For those of us interested in governing and not bickering, this is a good thing.—
Gail Slater,
Rolling Stone,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
With The Boys teasing a return for Aya Cash‘s Stormfront in the upcoming prequel series, Eric Kripke has no plans to retcon her motivations.—
Glenn Garner,
Deadline,
10 May 2026
-
Shania Twain has fans buzzing after teasing a new single on social media.—
Lori A Bashian,
FOXNews.com,
8 May 2026
Verb
-
In recent years, a few prominent detransitioners, including Chloe Cole and Prisha Mosley, have advocated for restrictions on transition care for minors, arguing in lawsuits against doctors who treated them that their care was too easy to access and that doctors failed them.—
Jo Yurcaba,
NBC news,
16 May 2026
-
James Ward During the debate, Republican candidate Steve Hilton said that only a small percentage of California has been developed for housing, arguing that the state should focus on building homes on undeveloped land rather than increasing density in existing cities.—
James Ward,
USA Today,
15 May 2026
Adjective
-
Reuters reported that BlackRock CEO Larry Fink, who hosted the dinner of some 200 people as co-chair of the World Economic Forum, ended the dinner after the heckling incident — before dessert was served.—
Ashleigh Fields,
The Hill,
22 Jan. 2026
-
Vice President Vance appeared on FOX News Channel’s The Ingraham Angle hours after the heckling incident, telling the host about visiting with the national guardsmen and discussing recent changes to the city, while briefly mentioning the protesters.—
Jillian Frankel,
People.com,
21 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Tell him that his approach to the trip is bothering you.—
Harriette Cole,
Mercury News,
14 May 2026
-
Try taking 10 to 15 minutes each day to write out what's bothering you.—
Pien Huang,
NPR,
2 May 2026
Verb
-
After a limp 2-0 defeat at Lorient in mid-April, Benatia criticised the players for a lack of fighting spirit.—
Tom Williams,
New York Times,
17 May 2026
-
Democrats are also fighting among themselves.—
Amy Davidson Sorkin,
New Yorker,
17 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hassling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hassling. Accessed 17 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
