1
as in to annoy
to disturb the peace of mind of (someone) especially by repeated disagreeable acts
one sure way to rile me is to keep yelling for me
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to infuriate
to make angry
her husband isn't easily riled, but once he is, he stays that way for days
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of rile
The Senators have earned that right to get their fans riled up one more time in this series.
—
Julian McKenzie, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2025
The special will look back on her Correspondents’ Dinner speech, which riled up the Fox News crowd and struck a nerve with Donald Trump.
—Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 24 Apr. 2025
As conservatives in the U.S. were getting riled up about real or perceived changes over LGBTQ+ inclusion in the church, far more substantive maneuvers were underway at the Vatican.
—Liam Adams, USA Today, 23 Apr. 2025
Though Hargitay and Meloni are both married, the friends seem to get a kick out of riling up their fanbase, many of whom ship their Law & Order characters, Olivia Benson and Elliot Stabler, or even the actors themselves.
—Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 13 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rile
Julian McKenzie, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2025
The special will look back on her Correspondents’ Dinner speech, which riled up the Fox News crowd and struck a nerve with Donald Trump.
—Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 24 Apr. 2025
As conservatives in the U.S. were getting riled up about real or perceived changes over LGBTQ+ inclusion in the church, far more substantive maneuvers were underway at the Vatican.
—Liam Adams, USA Today, 23 Apr. 2025
Though Hargitay and Meloni are both married, the friends seem to get a kick out of riling up their fanbase, many of whom ship their Law & Order characters, Olivia Benson and Elliot Stabler, or even the actors themselves.
—Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 13 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rile
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rile
Verb
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But until Tuesday afternoon, four days out, there had been no announcement of what acts would be performing, or even where the show would be held The radio silence annoyed fans, who said so online.—
Lisa Gutierrez,
Kansas City Star,
14 May 2025
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Nearly one-half of Republicans (52%) are annoyed with how much attention is being paid to climate change vs. only 13% for Democrats.—
Robert G. Eccles,
Forbes.com,
13 May 2025
Verb
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More: The infuriating ambiguity of 'fine' Broadhurst has since graduated from Oxford and is now pursuing a masters in forensic speech science at the University of York.—
Charles Trepany,
USA Today,
22 May 2025
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But the new textbooks have infuriated former government loyalists who defend their version of history.—
Simon Montlake,
Christian Science Monitor,
16 May 2025
Verb
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Use your hands: Since washcloths and sponges can irritate the skin, apply cleansers using your fingers, moving then over the skin in a circular motion.—
Mark Gurarie,
Verywell Health,
14 May 2025
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Aggressive or improper neck manipulation can irritate or compress nerves in your cervical spine, causing pain, numbness, muscle weakness, or tingling that radiates into your shoulders, arms, or hands.—
Lindsay Curtis,
Health,
12 May 2025
Verb
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Target also said its first-quarter performance was affected by negative reactions to its pullback on diversity, equity and inclusion policies (DEI) in January, which angered some loyal customers who have long praised the company's commitment to inclusiveness.—
Siddharth Cavale,
USA Today,
22 May 2025
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But the decision angered supporters of diversity and inclusion policies, who felt blindsided by Target.—
Nathaniel Meyersohn,
CNN Money,
21 May 2025
Verb
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That doesn’t mean the implication doesn’t bother him.—
Jack Harris,
Los Angeles Times,
15 May 2025
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Or Xander Schauffele, the defending PGA champion who is surely not bothered by the lack of attention on him early this week.—
Brody Miller,
New York Times,
15 May 2025
Verb
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Jason Kilar, who had just become head of what was then called Warner Media and was part of AT&T, was enraged enough at the messy debut that some executives soon would move on.—
David Bloom,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2025
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The government doesn’t keep statistics regarding the number of white farmers killed, but news of particularly brutal attacks has enraged many Afrikaners.—
Timothy Nerozzi,
The Washington Examiner,
14 May 2025
Verb
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Some of the journalists who were terminated on Thursday were from countries with repressive governments that persecute journalists for independent reporting, Mr. Abramowitz said in the email to employees on Thursday.—
Minho Kim,
New York Times,
16 May 2025
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According to tradition, Peter traveled to Rome to spread the Christian message and was martyred there during the reign of the Emperor Nero, around 64 A.D., as Christians were being persecuted.—
Vanessa Gera,
Chicago Tribune,
8 May 2025
Verb
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But this is not the case in Season 2, and it’s been bugging me to no end.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
20 May 2025
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In less than a minute, Judge posed both the problem and the solution that will bug the Yankees for as long as Soto is doing his shuffle.—
Brendan Kuty,
New York Times,
16 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Rile.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rile. Accessed 27 May. 2025.
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