riling 1 of 2

adjective

as in annoying
causing annoyance a riling habit that drives his wife crazy

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

riling

2 of 2

verb

present participle of rile
1
as in bothering
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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in angering
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

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of riling
Adjective
The only thing more riling than a referee’s interference in a sports event is a politician’s. — Sally Jenkins, The Atlantic, 6 July 2026
Verb
Mbappé, who scored on a penalty in the 70th minute, was riling up the crowd at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia following France’s 1-0 victory in the Round of 16. — Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 5 July 2026 Sediment in the water is an issue that is riling up both residents and environmentalists. — Bill Kearney, Sun Sentinel, 28 June 2026 McCarty said, riling up the crowd. — Chris Biderman, Sacbee.com, 29 May 2026 Isaacman made the comments while endorsing a proposal to halve NASA's science budget, riling some astronomers. — CBS News, 4 May 2026 Some clips showed owls and ravens attacking the couple, especially riling up fans. — Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 2 May 2026 His players were shown footage of the tackle, calculatedly riling up their ire for next week. — Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 1 May 2026 Despite losing to Georgia in the conference championship game, DeBoer's Crimson Tide earned one of this year's 12 CFP spots, potentially riling up coaches and fans from other programs who felt their teams got snubbed. — Matthew Couden, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Dec. 2025 Officials like Bongino are in the awkward position of backtracking after years of highlighting the case and lobbying for the release of information from the sidelines — riling up their viewers and supporters in the process. — Emily Brooks, The Hill, 8 July 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for riling
  1. annoying
  2. bothering
  3. angering
  4. irritating
  5. bugging
  6. infuriating
  7. frustrating
  8. persecuting
Adjective
  • In The Athletic’s anonymous annual player poll, he has been voted the NFL’s biggest trash talker and most annoying player.
    — Tim Graham, New York Times, 1 Aug. 2026
  • The problem is with my stepson’s parents-in-law, both of whom are lovely but annoying.
    — R. Eric Thomas, Mercury News, 29 July 2026
Definition of annoying
Verb
  • Hip still bothering Springs Springs lasted just four innings after issuing a season-high five walks, throwing 86 pitches — only 51% of them strikes — and gave up his 28th home run of the season, the most of any pitcher in the league.
    — Sean Campbell, Sacbee.com, 1 Aug. 2026
  • Sharks already frequent Southern California beaches, usually without bothering anyone.
    — Amber Harding OutKick, FOXNews.com, 30 July 2026
Definition of bothering
Verb
  • And the thousandth cut came when Raman launched her mayoral campaign without first consulting the local DSA chapter, angering organizers who felt the race stretched their resources too thin.
    — Maxwell Adler, Vanity Fair, 29 July 2026
  • Leaders of the Maine Democratic Party are still working toward a process to replace Graham Platner, without angering his supporters.
    — Dan Merica, Washington Post, 9 July 2026
Definition of angering
Adjective
  • Like nails on a chalkboard, whining—an irritating blend of talking and crying—has the ability to make almost any parent either lose their temper or cave.
    — Debby Waldman, Parents, 3 Aug. 2026
  • In fact, this is where our motivations become personal and perhaps even slightly irritating, especially if repressed emotions or sensitivities rise to the surface.
    — Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 1 Aug. 2026
Definition of irritating
Verb
  • The necessity of the trip at all is what's been bugging me.
    — Will Greenwald, PC Magazine, 12 June 2026
  • His doctor had been bugging him for years to get a colonoscopy because of his age, but Driggers declined.
    — The Washington Post, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 June 2026
Definition of bugging
Verb
  • Speaking to them on the phone is infuriating since most of the conversation is about what’s going on with Kaden.
    — Jeanne Phillips, Mercury News, 17 July 2026
  • The result can be a more consistent connection, fewer interruptions and less of that infuriating mid-episode quality drop.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 30 June 2026
Definition of infuriating
Adjective
  • What’s frustrating is the capacity to end voter registration already exists.
    — Ellen Kurz, New York Daily News, 6 Aug. 2026
  • Though Gakpo was a frustrating watch at times throughout last season at Liverpool, his nose for a goalscoring opportunity cannot be denied.
    — Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of frustrating
Verb
  • Biden weaponized Law Enforcement against his political opponent, while also persecuting many other innocent people.
    — New York Times, New York Times, 11 June 2026
  • Jack Hayford, the founder of the King’s University, in Texas, claimed that the film was persecuting Christians, who only wanted to be treated equally.
    — Isaac Butler, New Yorker, 30 May 2026
Definition of persecuting

Browse Nearby Words

riley
riling
rill
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Cite this Entry

“Riling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/riling. Accessed 7 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of riling for Spanish Speakers

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