as in annoying
to disturb the peace of mind of (someone) especially by repeated disagreeable acts
she irked her friend by chewing her gum loudly during the movie
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Recent Examples of irking
And analysts say that countries, including smaller developing markets, may be more wary of irking China, even to protect the growth of their own manufacturing sectors – especially when contending with a US trade war.
—
Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 15 Jan. 2026
The ongoing preference for Brenden Aaronson over Daniel James is irking some corners of the fanbase, too.
—Beren Cross, New York Times, 10 Nov. 2025
Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 15 Jan. 2026
The ongoing preference for Brenden Aaronson over Daniel James is irking some corners of the fanbase, too.
—Beren Cross, New York Times, 10 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for irking
Verb
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Sometimes, rage bait can be relatively harmless – a recipe that contains disgusting food combinations or someone annoying their pet, partner or sibling.—
Issy Ronald,
CNN Money,
1 Dec. 2025
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But what’s been annoying me even more is that these women should have been trained by producers to start recording on their own cell phones if drama starts to unfold after cameras go down.—
Tom Smyth,
Vulture,
12 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Mass incarceration has led to a fast-growing bloc of citizens who either are legally barred from voting or have just stopped bothering.—
Kevin B. Smith,
The Conversation,
2 Mar. 2026
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Stop bothering me with things that don’t make sense.—
Nick Canepa,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
28 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Wear gloves to avoid irritating your skin.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
28 Feb. 2026
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The Seminole-Palm Harbor contest got a bit dicey in the second half, with questionable calls irritating players, coaches and fans, most notably on the Seminole side.—
Chris Hays,
The Orlando Sentinel,
24 Feb. 2026
Verb
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And also, Bill has to be home and also not bugging me.—
Joey Nolfi,
Entertainment Weekly,
3 Mar. 2026
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Clara could hear Dune’s sister, Fern, in the background bugging Dune to resume their chess game.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
2 Mar. 2026
Verb
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But so often left unsaid by Gu are the moral ambiguities that come with choosing to represent a country that has been heavily criticized by Human Rights Watch, among other watchdog groups, for denying rights of freedom of expression and for persecuting government critics.—
Zak Keefer,
New York Times,
17 Feb. 2026
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Troops are occupying our cities and persecuting our people.—
Maria Guinnip,
Oklahoman,
21 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Jeff Rosen, Santa Clara County district attorney, said at a news conference Wednesday afternoon that O’Connor would face at least 30 years in prison pending aggravating factors still to be considered by a judge on March 11.—
Andrew J. Campa,
Los Angeles Times,
5 Mar. 2026
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Another said the product is effective at smoothing lines without aggravating sensitive skin.—
Rebecca Jones,
Southern Living,
3 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Irking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/irking. Accessed 12 Mar. 2026.
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