as in to dog
to subject (someone) to constant scoldings and sharp reminders
my doctor henpecked me into adopting a healthier lifestyle
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Recent Examples of henpeck
Laurent Naouri was gravelly but properly pathetic as Cendrillon’s henpecked father; Ying Fang and Maya Lahyani carried off the goofy stepsisters with aplomb.
—
Heidi Waleson, WSJ, 23 Apr. 2018
He eventually is seduced by the queen, takes her as his czarina and is literally henpecked.
—John Von Rhein, chicagotribune.com, 8 Aug. 2017
Heidi Waleson, WSJ, 23 Apr. 2018
He eventually is seduced by the queen, takes her as his czarina and is literally henpecked.
—John Von Rhein, chicagotribune.com, 8 Aug. 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for henpeck
Verb
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In conversation with James Fallon, chief content officer of WWD and Fairchild Media Group, at the WWD Apparel & Retail CEO Summit, Kliger was clear-eyed about the weaknesses that have dogged Net-a-porter for years, but confident in the ability to turn it around.—
Evan Clark,
Footwear News,
10 Nov. 2025
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Florida’s 2018 election and recount fiasco reinforced the state’s reputation as a place where voting is dogged by problems.—
David Smiley,
Miami Herald,
10 Nov. 2025
Verb
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But in the final moments, when Carol is back in her coach seat on the plane, something nags at her.—
Scott Tobias,
Vulture,
7 Nov. 2025
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Rather than nagging or framing missteps as failures, create initiation rituals that cue the brain to shift into work mode.—
Ana Homayoun,
CNBC,
27 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Comments begged Kennedy to explain what caused her relationship to end.—
Zoey Lyttle,
PEOPLE,
5 Nov. 2025
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That begs the question of whether the Rockets need to upgrade at point guard, given their championship expectations.—
Ricardo Sandoval,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Nov. 2025
Verb
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During that visit, then Belgian Prime Minister Alexander de Croo urged Francis in unusually frank terms to take concrete action.—
Christopher Lamb,
CNN Money,
8 Nov. 2025
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Sauer urged the high court to issue its ruling quickly, noting that it is currently required to use Section 32 funding to send full SNAP benefits by tonight due to McConnell’s order.—
Jack Birle,
The Washington Examiner,
8 Nov. 2025
Verb
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The clanging of dirty dishes being gathered in the back kitchen does not bother her.—
David Canfield,
HollywoodReporter,
6 Nov. 2025
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Instagram and TikTok are littered with stories of women and their unsupportive husbands, men who can't remember their own children's birthdays or be bothered to take a weekend off from their golf hobby to spend time with their families.—
Kelly Lawler,
USA Today,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Hansen Yang – hounded by over a dozen Chinese media members there to chronicle his every move – launched jumpers while Mandarin pop songs blared through the arena.—
Joseph Dycus,
Mercury News,
26 Oct. 2025
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The three did their jobs, hounding the Sabres with persistent physicality all game.—
Joshua Kloke,
New York Times,
25 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Medvedev has repeatedly needled Trump on social media, and his post today could be an attempt to downplay the peace deal Trump signed.—
Yamiche Alcindor,
NBC news,
14 Oct. 2025
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After nearly a decade of using the sign to needle the beer capital, Anheuser-Busch walked away from the ad and was replaced by Miller Brewing.—
Chris Foran,
jsonline.com,
24 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Henpeck.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/henpeck. Accessed 11 Nov. 2025.
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