hassling 1 of 2

adjective

as in mocking

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hassling

2 of 2

verb

present participle of hassle
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
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
  1. mocking
  2. taunting
  3. bickering
  4. heckling
  5. teasing
  6. arguing
  7. needling
  8. fighting
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
Definition of mocking
Verb
  • The big house sat clear, taunting their one‑room shack with its size, her children somewhere swallowed in the expansiveness of the land.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Cunningham’s highlights are hard fouls, a few 3-pointers, taunting, serving as a ring girl at a UFC fight, her sense of humor, and now commentary that has a Fox flair.
    — Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of taunting
Verb
  • There’s striker Josie Gordon, bickering twin sisters Siobhan and Niamh, glove-shunning goalie Katie ‘Boots’ Quinn and couple Maddie and Margy.
    — Hannah Abraham, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Back at the base, the team is still bickering with the other troopers.
    — Andy Andersen, Vulture, 2 Aug. 2026
Definition of bickering
Adjective
  • There was also an August 2024 incident at Fenway when Duran hurled a homophobic slur at a heckling fan.
    — Greg Dudek, Hartford Courant, 28 June 2026
  • Charles Barkley was once spitting mad at a heckling fan, and his expectoration wound up splashing on an 8-year-old girl.
    — Jon Greenberg, New York Times, 22 May 2026
Definition of heckling
Verb
  • The full trailer — teasing what’s to come in episodes 1-8 — is out and totally re-watchable.
    — Lindsay Kimble, PEOPLE, 2 Sep. 2026
  • After years spent teasing a legally impossible third term, Trump is now describing life after January 2029, picturing himself at home as a successor claims credit.
    — Will Weissert, Los Angeles Times, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of teasing
Verb
  • Milei has rejected calls for government intervention, arguing that unpaid debts are a private matter between borrowers and lenders rather than a symptom of wider economic distress.
    — Débora Rey, Los Angeles Times, 10 Sep. 2026
  • Reddington said his first priority is arguing later this month that a retrial would violate Clancy's constitutional protection against double jeopardy because the mistrial was declared over the defense's objection.
    — Bryan Llenas , Brittany Miller, FOXNews.com, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of arguing
Adjective
  • But for those who find (and in some cases may be slightly mystified as to why) that there is a nagging, needling value to Schrader’s ongoing project of tussling with grandiose dilemmas of transgression and deliverance, there is some new news here.
    — Jessica Kiang, Variety, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Then, Metric’s peak came on 2009’s Fantasies, which paired needling electronics with thumping drum programming; both it and its follow-up, Synthetica, hit the top 10 on the Canadian albums chart and went platinum in Canada.
    — Ethan Beck, Pitchfork, 4 May 2026
Definition of needling
Verb
  • Muslim leaders and community members, in turn, told the USA TODAY Network they’re left fighting to defend their faith and warning the nation that its founding principles are at stake.
    — BrieAnna J. Frank, USA Today, 6 Sep. 2026
  • But Verstappen had enough to pull clear in the last few laps and grab third, with the McLaren drivers slowed fighting amongst themselves.
    — Madeline Coleman, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2026
Definition of fighting

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Cite this Entry

“Hassling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hassling. Accessed 13 Sep. 2026.

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