as in headaches
something that is a source of irritation
the whining child was a constant irritant to his long-suffering parents
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Recent Examples of irritants
For decades, scientists assumed the primary purpose of sneezing was simply to expel irritants from the upper airway.
—
Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 15 May 2026
Federal agents also tackled several people and deployed chemical irritants at Roosevelt High School in south Minneapolis.
—Beret Leone, CBS News, 11 May 2026
Caffeine, alcohol and certain acidic or spicy foods can act as bladder irritants for some people.
—Lauryn Higgins, Flow Space, 1 May 2026
An open window, your shoes, or even your clothing could bring in pollen or other outdoor irritants.
—Angie Hicks, Boston Herald, 24 Apr. 2026
Many older people suffer from symptoms that resemble pollen allergies—runny nose and congestion—but the majority of these seniors are actually bothered by other airborne irritants, such as cigarette smoke, perfumes or cleaning products.
—Matt Fuchs, Scientific American, 15 Apr. 2026
Natural solutions like baking soda mixed with essential oils or a light vinegar spray for odors and stains are gentler alternatives that avoid introducing new irritants into your sleep environment.
—Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Miami Herald, 10 Apr. 2026
That means every room your kids sleep, play and eat in gets a fresh dose of dust particles and irritants — especially important if anyone in the house has allergies or asthma.
—Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 9 Apr. 2026
Trump is shrugging them off, entering a state of weightlessness where all thought of consequences and all concern for mundane irritants like inflation and affordability are left behind.
—Fintan O’Toole, The New York Review of Books, 9 Apr. 2026
Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 15 May 2026
Federal agents also tackled several people and deployed chemical irritants at Roosevelt High School in south Minneapolis.
—Beret Leone, CBS News, 11 May 2026
Caffeine, alcohol and certain acidic or spicy foods can act as bladder irritants for some people.
—Lauryn Higgins, Flow Space, 1 May 2026
An open window, your shoes, or even your clothing could bring in pollen or other outdoor irritants.
—Angie Hicks, Boston Herald, 24 Apr. 2026
Many older people suffer from symptoms that resemble pollen allergies—runny nose and congestion—but the majority of these seniors are actually bothered by other airborne irritants, such as cigarette smoke, perfumes or cleaning products.
—Matt Fuchs, Scientific American, 15 Apr. 2026
Natural solutions like baking soda mixed with essential oils or a light vinegar spray for odors and stains are gentler alternatives that avoid introducing new irritants into your sleep environment.
—Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Miami Herald, 10 Apr. 2026
That means every room your kids sleep, play and eat in gets a fresh dose of dust particles and irritants — especially important if anyone in the house has allergies or asthma.
—Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 9 Apr. 2026
Trump is shrugging them off, entering a state of weightlessness where all thought of consequences and all concern for mundane irritants like inflation and affordability are left behind.
—Fintan O’Toole, The New York Review of Books, 9 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for irritants
Noun
-
The need to seek alternative Internet fiber routes comes on top of Big Tech’s other headaches from the war and Strait of Hormuz crisis.—
Jeremy Hsu,
ArsTechnica,
19 May 2026
-
Scarlett Johansson is Hester, Irwin’s wife, whose terrible headaches and blurred vision result in a devastating medical diagnosis.—
Brent Lang,
Variety,
19 May 2026
Noun
-
Land use regulations were legally justified as preventing nuisances, but in reality, the goal of many municipal leaders was to promote socially and racially homogenous neighborhoods, protect property values and keep property taxes low.—
Michael Schill,
Chicago Tribune,
13 May 2026
-
Previous modernization efforts The airport has previously suffered from a host of issues that have proved nuisances for travelers, including green liquid falling from the ceiling and broken escalators.—
Sarah Perkel,
USA Today,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
That potential is why the Bills chose to exercise the fifth-year option from his rookie contract despite recurring medical frustrations.—
Tim Graham,
New York Times,
21 May 2026
-
Others focused on the park-wide outage itself, with some guests sharing frustrations about long waits and ride shutdowns throughout the day.—
Kelly McGreal,
FOXNews.com,
19 May 2026
Noun
-
Removing the thorns may help our favorite novels appeal to a wider audience, but such refinements make art feel as lifeless as Catherine Linton’s corpse at the end of Emerald Fennell’s film.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
14 May 2026
-
That’s a whole lot of people — 24 of the 30 in this group alone — and Vought really isn’t helping their case with their hilariously corny promo of Jesus Christ himself passing the torch (or rather the crown of thorns).—
Ben Rosenstock,
Vulture,
13 May 2026
Noun
-
Despite that optimism, Landsvik still engages with Maja’s rightful annoyances with the world she is forced to live in.—
Tomris Laffly,
Variety,
19 May 2026
-
For instance, many partners have small gripes or annoyances with habits that are annoying at worst, but far from an outright red flag — like a partner that chews somewhat loudly, leaves cabinet doors open or hums constantly while working.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
17 May 2026
Noun
-
The construction work coexists with hundreds of posters promoting the soccer tournament, as well as large-scale figures of soccer balls and trophies, which help passengers forget the inconveniences caused by renovations that have dragged on for a year.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
20 May 2026
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These small inconveniences can cumulatively lead to inefficiencies and breakdowns in collaboration.—
Thomas Berndorfer,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Irritants.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/irritants. Accessed 22 May. 2026.
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