as in annoying
causing annoyance
your constant sniffling is extremely nettling
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in irritating
to disturb the peace of mind of (someone) especially by repeated disagreeable acts
don't nettle your brother while he's trying to do his homework
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nettling
Adjective
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Plenty of would-be heroes pass through the inn on their way to save the world, and Nell is responsible for keeping the place running, serving food, and making sure all those annoying questers don’t cause too much chaos.—
Caroline Carlson,
Literary Hub,
1 Apr. 2026 -
As most Angelenos know, anti-aging efforts come in many annoying forms.—
Rebecca Leib,
Los Angeles Times,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Oklahoma City is irritating, but never stops winning.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
10 Apr. 2026
-
Those with extra-sensitive skin often find success with Vanicream, which is free of irritating ingredients such as dyes, fragrance, formaldehyde and lanolin.—
BestReviews,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
What’s especially frustrating is that this debate is being driven by politicians seeking to divide us, rather than families, coaches, and the people who are actually raising kids and protecting them.—
Mike Smith,
Denver Post,
12 Apr. 2026
-
But that was not the mayor's most frustrating moment.—
Marcia Kramer,
CBS News,
12 Apr. 2026
Verb
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But that doesn’t excuse failing to execute on the ABCs of lobbying — such as not bothering even to show up at a hearing on a policy the mayor considers an urgent priority.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
7 Apr. 2026
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Both players scored in double figures on Sunday, but Santos was ruled out against the Kings because of a pelvis injury that has been bothering him for weeks.—
Joseph Dycus,
Mercury News,
7 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
That boss who had sent Kim all those disturbing love letters and images.—
Peter Van Sant,
CBS News,
12 Apr. 2026
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Magyar’s most disturbing similarity with Orbán is his personality.—
Kapil Komireddi,
New Yorker,
10 Apr. 2026
Verb
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So, all the things people were yelling about with Southwest weren’t bugging me.—
Lisa Gutierrez,
Kansas City Star,
21 Mar. 2026
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But so much of my journalism has been about something that’s bugging me.—
Jack Denton,
Vulture,
18 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Jurors heard arguments from attorneys on the case after the verdicts were read to determine if aggravating factors apply at sentencing.—
City News Service,
Oc Register,
14 Mar. 2026
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Court records show the aggravating circumstances mean a criminal sentence would have to adhere to the upper bound of sentencing requirements.—
Daniel Lempres,
Sacbee.com,
12 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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The term refers to biblical passages in which Jesus described Jews in specific communities who were persecuting the early Christians.—
Jennifer Berry Hawes,
ProPublica,
4 Feb. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Nettling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nettling. Accessed 14 Apr. 2026.
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