1
as in to bother
to cause to go insane or as if insane
the endless swarms of mosquitoes all but maddened the explorers
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to infuriate
to make angry
her perpetual tardiness maddened her friends to no end
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of madden
It’s been maddening to watch a lineup full of high-end hitters come up empty night after night in April, a month that has felt as long as about three.
—
Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 29 Apr. 2026
Thankfully, this beautiful vista isn’t marred by maddening crowds.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Apr. 2026
This is the premise of The Exit 8, a Japanese video game made by Kotake Create that, as the millions who played it will attest, turns a commuter’s endless circling into a thrilling, maddening first-person-shooter minus the shooting.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 10 Apr. 2026
The science of color is also maddening for the same reason.
—Kory Stamper, Longreads, 19 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for madden
Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 29 Apr. 2026
Thankfully, this beautiful vista isn’t marred by maddening crowds.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Apr. 2026
This is the premise of The Exit 8, a Japanese video game made by Kotake Create that, as the millions who played it will attest, turns a commuter’s endless circling into a thrilling, maddening first-person-shooter minus the shooting.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 10 Apr. 2026
The science of color is also maddening for the same reason.
—Kory Stamper, Longreads, 19 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for madden
Recent Examples of Synonyms for madden
Verb
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This was a club that embraced African players before much of Europe bothered to scout the continent seriously.—
Zohran Mamdani,
New York Times,
29 May 2026
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In my dream world where Emmys voters bother to watch Bait, Khan is a shoo-in.—
Joe Reid,
Vulture,
29 May 2026
Verb
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Union Pacific hasn’t commented publicly on the president’s remarks, but risks infuriating the president by denying them privately to investors all the same.—
Rohan Goswami,
semafor.com,
1 June 2026
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Those exemptions — and the government stipends many seminary students receive up to the age of 26 — have infuriated many Israelis.—
Melanie Lidman,
Los Angeles Times,
1 June 2026
Verb
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Atletico were angered by Barcelona’s long pursuit of Antoine Griezmann, which saw Griezmann decide to stay in summer 2018 but move to the Camp Nou twelve months later.—
Ali Rampling,
New York Times,
29 May 2026
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Claude Lemieux, a four-time Stanley Cup champion whose ferocious, hard-hitting style of play angered opponents and sometimes overshadowed his prodigious skills and ability to deliver in the biggest games, has died after taking his own life, according to authorities.—
Stephen Whyno,
Los Angeles Times,
28 May 2026
Verb
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Most were for assault of police officers while other allegations include theft, vandalism and disturbing the public order.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
31 May 2026
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Regardless, there’s a clear symbolism to Clark empathizing and embracing a bloated externalization of his own inchoate fury until someone with an outside perspective disturbs his peace, and that fury breaks loose and devours him.—
Tasha Robinson,
Vulture,
29 May 2026
Verb
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The back-and-forth with the hospital and the insurer enraged Wood.—
Katy Golvala,
Hartford Courant,
1 June 2026
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One quick way to enrage a room of people leaders?—
Kristin Stoller,
Fortune,
26 May 2026
Verb
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And then beyond that, there’s Hackney Wick, which is not to be confused with traditional Hackney, also on the canal, filled with very cool community initiatives.—
AFAR Media,
AFAR Media,
30 May 2026
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Because of their similar flowers, this plant is sometimes confused with bigleaf hydrangea.—
Marie Iannotti,
The Spruce,
29 May 2026
Verb
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Ever been annoyed after Windows setup that your user folder has a weird name?—
Jon Martindale,
PC Magazine,
28 May 2026
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The suspension is a nice blend between comfort and sport—the sweet spot where breaks in the asphalt don’t annoy, yet body roll never feels excessive.—
Michael Harley,
Forbes.com,
27 May 2026
Verb
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Only sick, demented, or deranged people in the House or Senate could vote against THE SAVE AMERICA ACT.—
Dan Gooding,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2026
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For all their faults, looksmaxxers are intent on de-fetishizing this particular commodity, revealing beauty to be the product of strenuous (and often deranging) labor.—
Becca Rothfeld,
New Yorker,
7 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Madden.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/madden. Accessed 5 Jun. 2026.
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