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
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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
-
Those in the away end took great delight in taunting the new man with, ‘You’re getting sacked in the morning’ and on more than one occasion too.—
Simon Johnson,
New York Times,
14 Jan. 2026
-
Videos surfaced on social media showing Doncic taunting Schroder for turning down a four-year, $84 million contract with the Lakers in 2021.—
Jason Anderson,
Sacbee.com,
13 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Someone on the bench started bickering with Cameroon’s first goalscorer, Junior Tchamadeu, during a break in play.—
Jay Harris,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
-
The Federal Reserve chair and the president stood stiffly, side by side, in matching hard hats, bickering on a building site, for all the world to see.—
Eleanor Pringle,
Fortune,
29 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
Alongside the tape, the UK artist has also begun teasing a new album, Terrified.—
Hattie Lindert,
Pitchfork,
25 Jan. 2026
-
Hana can’t shake the feeling that someone is watching her, even teasing her.—
Kate Erbland,
IndieWire,
23 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The truck driver was convicted of vehicular manslaughter, but the Cobles’ wrongful-death lawsuit against Caltrans, arguing that faulty freeway design led to the backup their car was in when the big rig came around the bend, was lost in a jury trial.—
Erika I. Ritchie,
Oc Register,
24 Jan. 2026
-
Prominent leaders of the Southern Baptist Convention have come to the church's defense, arguing that compassion for migrant families affected by the crackdown cannot justify violating a sacred space during worship.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
23 Jan. 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
-
Is a man bothering you at a bar?—
Anna Cafolla,
Vogue,
23 Jan. 2026
-
If the plaintiff can get the information from, say, an SEC filing, then the plaintiff must go that route instead of bothering the speaker.—
Jay Adkisson,
Forbes.com,
19 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Fatu and Rhodes took turns fighting each other and then the WWE officials.—
Alfred Konuwa,
Forbes.com,
25 Jan. 2026
-
The Skippers kept fighting, using a 7-0 run to take a 57-55 lead with two minutes to go.—
Brendan Connelly,
Boston Herald,
24 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hassling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hassling. Accessed 29 Jan. 2026.
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