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
Relevance
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of irks
Literary Hub, 16 Oct. 2025
Becky is perky and cheerful to the point of being obnoxious, which sometimes irks Robin.
—Lisa Stardust, PEOPLE, 19 Sep. 2025
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
Verb
This particular iteration just irks you for some reason.
—Literary Hub, 16 Oct. 2025
Becky is perky and cheerful to the point of being obnoxious, which sometimes irks Robin.
—Lisa Stardust, PEOPLE, 19 Sep. 2025
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
-
During his hearing on Wednesday, Mohammed reported stomach pain and headaches, his father said.—
Jeremy Diamond,
CNN Money,
30 Oct. 2025
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Among the opponents are some residents of Alton Road, who say that gating off North Bay Road would worsen the city’s already substantial traffic problems and create headaches for people trying to access their homes.—
Aaron Leibowitz,
Miami Herald,
29 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Ask yourself what annoys you specifically about that behavior, Davis says.—
NPR,
NPR,
28 Oct. 2025
-
There are days when my running annoys my wife, my children, or my colleagues.—
Nicholas Thompson,
The Atlantic,
23 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Why ban books, Postman asked, if no one bothers to read them?—
Time,
Time,
10 Sep. 2025
-
What bothers her most is how the refusal seemed to change her brother’s behavior.—
Ashley Vega,
PEOPLE,
10 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
From the season premiere, fans remarked on how different this cast felt, taking to social media platforms like Reddit and TikTok to express their frustrations.—
Christian Orozco,
NBC news,
30 Oct. 2025
-
At first, Maia vents her frustrations with her attention-seeking friend.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
30 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The group exhausts and irritates opposing pitchers.—
Andy McCullough,
New York Times,
25 Oct. 2025
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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
Noun
-
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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Both can reduce debris or items that attract the boxelder bugs.—
Nafeesah Allen,
Better Homes & Gardens,
23 Oct. 2025
-
Chinch bugs overwinter in moist, deep thatch.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
Southern Living,
17 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
To eat the nopales, remove the spines (spikes, thorns, or barbs) and use them raw in salads or cooked in soups or tacos.—
Barbie Cervoni,
Verywell Health,
22 Oct. 2025
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What fantastic fantasies will lure risk-seeking treasure hunters to breach the massive walls of iron thorns surrounding mysterious radioactive caverns buried deep in the deserts?—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
22 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Irks.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/irks. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
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