irked 1 of 2

irked

2 of 2

verb

past tense of irk

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 irked
Verb
Baldur is more circumspect, irked at having temporarily lost his boat in the mishap, and unsettled by Helge’s teasing manner, which could be interpreted as either adversarial or flirtatious. Dennis Harvey, Variety, 26 July 2026 The company behind the disk space analyzer TreeSize has irked some users by no longer offering support or updates for perpetual licenses beyond their maintenance period unless customers subscribe. Scharon Harding, ArsTechnica, 21 July 2026 There were a lot of characters in Fred’s orbit on Sanford and Son, but no one irked him like Lamont’s fast-talking friend Rollo. Emily Blackwood, PEOPLE, 17 July 2026 Back in April, word of Schwartz’s nomination irked some vaccine skeptics who were rising to prominence under Kennedy. Los Angeles Times, 15 July 2026 Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois seemed personally irked. Tim Spiers, New York Times, 7 July 2026 In the months since his March promotion, Andreou has worked to release the Copilot super app, scaled back the ubiquitous Copilot icons that irked Windows users, and launched Copilot Cowork to compete with Anthropic’s highly popular Claude Cowork. Sebastian Herrera, Fortune, 27 June 2026 The president irked party leaders by endorsing a primary opponent to Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, who lost his bid for a third term. Russell Berman, The Atlantic, 25 June 2026 Marmo’s show has a labelling issue that’s similar to the one that irked his subject. Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 21 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for irked
Adjective
  • Economists and the commentariat, playing the role of the annoyed parent, point out that over-all employment has been strong for a while.
    Jay Caspian Kang, New Yorker, 28 July 2026
  • Whatever the yellow jersey’s feelings, teams were annoyed, often more privately than publicly.
    Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 26 July 2026
Verb
  • That bothered Duncan, because direct attack can be dangerous in extreme fire conditions.
    Murphy Woodhouse, NPR, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Brown was asked Thursday what bothered him about the process.
    Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 6 Aug. 2026
Adjective
  • Royal biographer Tina Brown went as far as to suggest that Charles is growing increasingly irritated with William.
    Allison DeGrushe, StyleCaster, 27 July 2026
  • Cubital tunnel syndrome occurs when the ulnar nerve, which passes through a tunnel on the inside of the elbow, becomes inflamed, swollen and irritated, Johns Hopkins explains.
    Samantha Agate, Charlotte Observer, 25 July 2026
Verb
  • The National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine, a law-enforcement agency known as NABU, had bugged Mindich’s apartment in Kyiv, and detectives picked up his conversations about Fire Point.
    Simon Shuster, The Atlantic, 17 July 2026
  • The group alleged that as well as hacking their phones, journalists from the Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday tapped landlines and bugged houses and cars.
    K.J. Yossman, Variety, 7 July 2026
Adjective
  • The Braves opted against parting with their most valuable prospects at the trade deadline, a decision that’s upset part of the fanbase and many around the organization but will require time to judge.
    Gabriel Burns, AJC.com, 6 Aug. 2026
  • It’s considered the biggest upset in the history of the tournament.
    PJ Green, Kansas City Star, 6 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Although the two programs similarly target humanitarian concerns, being a TPS holder does not guarantee asylum, which requires that applicants prove they’ve been persecuted on specific grounds.
    Cameron Pugh, Christian Science Monitor, 1 Aug. 2026
  • In The Bacchae, Dionysus becomes violent only because his existence has been denied and his followers persecuted, and his maenads similarly become destructive only when pursued.
    Angelica Frey, JSTOR Daily, 31 July 2026
Adjective
  • These were voices—complaining, confiding, exasperated, distressed—that had not been heard before, as if the novel were a speaking tube cued to an underground rumble.
    Cynthia Zarin, Harpers Magazine, 4 Aug. 2026
  • Jack Loder, a clearly exasperated digital content producer for the Giants’ flagship station KNBR, posted a two-minute video on X shortly after the game that singled out Webb for criticism.
    Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times, 10 July 2026
Adjective
  • Apart from the payment issues, many health workers and facilities have been attacked by rebels and angry mobs.
    ABC News, ABC News, 6 Aug. 2026
  • The report said that the 5-year-old cousin urinated on the floor, which made Gonzalez angry.
    Ana Maria Soler, CBS News, 6 Aug. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Irked.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/irked. Accessed 9 Aug. 2026.

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