as in headaches
something that is a source of irritation
one of the prof's major irks is a cell phone that rings during a lecture
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in annoys
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of irks
Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 11 Sep. 2025
It's pumiced enough to have no snags, no irks.
—Jack Royston, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Sep. 2025
Knowing that this irks travelers, a growing number of hotels are installing intuitive lighting solutions.
—Bailey Berg, AFAR Media, 22 Aug. 2025
Mickey then makes mention of how much time Ashley has been spending up in the HOH room, which irks Ashley to no end.
—Nick Caruso, TVLine, 21 Aug. 2025
What actually irks me more is the way in which so many media outlets (even my own) continue to accept the Fox News framing of Gutfeld as a very successful combatant in what’s left of the late-night wars.
—Josef Adalian, Vulture, 15 Aug. 2025
Verb
There is no appeal process, which irks Smith.
—Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 11 Sep. 2025
It's pumiced enough to have no snags, no irks.
—Jack Royston, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Sep. 2025
Knowing that this irks travelers, a growing number of hotels are installing intuitive lighting solutions.
—Bailey Berg, AFAR Media, 22 Aug. 2025
Mickey then makes mention of how much time Ashley has been spending up in the HOH room, which irks Ashley to no end.
—Nick Caruso, TVLine, 21 Aug. 2025
What actually irks me more is the way in which so many media outlets (even my own) continue to accept the Fox News framing of Gutfeld as a very successful combatant in what’s left of the late-night wars.
—Josef Adalian, Vulture, 15 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for irks
Noun
-
There have been several Republican senatorial candidates who have caused major headaches for the party.—
Kimberly Ross,
The Washington Examiner,
12 Sep. 2025
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PaaS let developers skip infrastructure headaches.—
Vincentas Grinius,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
This annoys his wife, who hankers after Bingley (sight unseen) as a future son-in-law.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
4 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Why ban books, Postman asked, if no one bothers to read them?—
Time,
Time,
10 Sep. 2025
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What bothers her most is how the refusal seemed to change her brother’s behavior.—
Ashley Vega,
PEOPLE,
10 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Don't hide from the layers of emotions and frustrations.—
David Oliver,
USA Today,
12 Sep. 2025
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West Ham United fans are no strangers to voicing their frustrations at the club’s board.—
Roshane Thomas,
New York Times,
11 Sep. 2025
Verb
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During his appearance on Josh Horowitz's Happy Sad Confused podcast alongside his The Roses costar Olivia Colman, the 49-year-old actor opened up about what irritates his family members.—
Ashlyn Robinette,
People.com,
28 Aug. 2025
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The news irritates Lord Lovat, knowing that if the MacKenzie brothers thought Ellen had run off with Malcom Grant, and Dougal (Sam Retford) was dumb enough to beat Malcom as a result, there has to be a moral lapse in judgment somewhere.—
Lincee Ray Published,
EW.com,
22 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Decades ago, marshes were considered nuisances, soggy flats to be drained, dried, and made waterproof with liberal coatings of asphalt.—
Justin Davidson,
Curbed,
9 Sep. 2025
Verb
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On average, the matador bugs increased their waving behavior seven times more in the presence of the predatory mantids.—
Laura Baisas,
Popular Science,
11 Sep. 2025
-
Fort Worth bed bugs The B-plot of Episode 7 has Peggy setting up a Little Free Library in her front yard in an effort to build community.—
Jake Harris,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
29 Aug. 2025
Noun
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One was treated for minor injuries, likely from rose-bush thorns, Christensen said.—
David Goodhue,
Miami Herald,
22 Aug. 2025
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Both the northern and southern branches of the reef have been battered lately by tropical storms and the encroachment of invasive coral-eating crown-of-thorns starfish, but heat stress driven by warming oceans is the primary cause, scientists told the BBC.—
Liz Hoffman,
semafor.com,
7 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Irks.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/irks. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
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