INTRUDING Synonyms: 85 Similar and Opposite Words

intruding 1 of 2

adjective

as in busy

thrusting oneself where one is not welcome or invited a relentlessly intruding child who likes to interrupt adult conversations simply to get attention

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

intruding

2 of 2

verb

present participle of intrude

as in interrupting

to cause a disruption in a conversation or discussion forgive me for intruding, but I think I know where that restaurant is

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in interfering

to interest oneself in what is not one's concern the story of a would-be matchmaker who intrudes into the lives of her friends

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 intruding

Verb

The direct address to the press comes after his predecessor Julian Nagelsmann faced intense scrutiny and criticism from media and former members of the national team, intruding into his private life while in the role. — Sebastian Stafford-Bloor, New York Times, 24 July 2026 India and China accused each other’s troops of constructing infrastructure and intruding into their respective territories. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 22 July 2026 The company's autonomous drones fire nets at intruding drones. — Trevor Hughes, USA Today, 21 July 2026 In ornamental beds, install cardboard rings under the mulch around perennial or annual plants to stop weeds from intruding. — Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 18 June 2026 No employee can even contemplate intruding on her, much less with news like this. — Literary Hub, 16 June 2026 Still, real life also has a way of intruding. — Jasmin Malik Chua, Footwear News, 8 June 2026 South Florida will have no way to send water to the ocean, and no way to stop salt water from intruding into its water supply. — Bill Kearney, Sun Sentinel, 23 May 2026 There are worse things that could happen than Jimmy Fallon intruding upon your life in the game and being forced to adapt to that. — Emily Longeretta, Variety, 23 Apr. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for intruding

Adjective

Perhaps a Sunday evening after peak usage time, before a busy week ahead.

— Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 20 Aug. 2026
The incident comes as Colorado experiences a sharp increase in bear activity fueled by poor natural food conditions, prompting officials to urge people to take extra precautions during the busy late-summer season.

— Anthony Thompson, USA Today, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of busy

Verb

However, according to the report, violence is increasing in museum thefts, with thieves using instruments such as dynamite, guns, and sledgehammers to gain access to treasures and deter employees from interfering.

— News Desk, Artforum, 24 Aug. 2026
Other kids can, too, without their parents interfering on Facebook groups.

— Mary Frances Ruskell, CNN Money, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of interfering

Adjective

Being asked to keep Nielsen’s proprietary devices in their homes is nothing new for the company’s panel participants, but the push to wear listening wearables could strike some as a bit intrusive.

— Charles Pulliam-Moore, The Verge, 19 Aug. 2026
Zeizel, who did not treat Clancy prior to the killings, testified that Clancy's intrusive thoughts eventually became unrelenting.

— Peter Charalambous, ABC News, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of intrusive

Verb

An alcoholic drink will give you a buzz, but if someone laced it with something dangerous, a new poison-snooping patch will buzz your skin to warn you.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 17 Aug. 2026
Cady had injected some narcotic into a Georgia peach to knock Natalie out ahead of his confrontation with Crystal on the houseboat, but Ray snooping around on the Bowdens’s behalf led to this deadly improvisation.

— Scott Tobias, Vulture, 10 July 2026