as in bothering
to disturb the peace of mind of (someone) especially by repeated disagreeable acts
the stream of minor complaints finally ruffled him into snapping, "If you don't like the way I'm doing it, do it yourself!"
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Recent Examples of ruffling
At times, Musk’s avoidance tactics shut down lines of questioning, ruffling Savitt’s feathers.
—
Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 30 Apr. 2026
Below, during a conversation with THR, Cronin also discusses his unique ability to deliver gore without ruffling the MPA’s feathers.
—Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 20 Apr. 2026
When the weather is warm, the best tables are those in the meditative interior courtyard open to blue sky, drifting clouds and the breeze ruffling sudare screens.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 Mar. 2026
But the second set featured the sport’s ultimate heel ruffling feathers once again, when Medvedev won a point on a controversial hindrance call.
—Ava Wallace, New York Times, 13 Mar. 2026
Her jokes were tight and sharp, and pushed the envelope just enough to be funny without truly ruffling any feathers.
—Chris Murphy, Vanity Fair, 11 Jan. 2026
The bricks under my fingers, a breeze ruffling my hair.
—CBS News, 28 Dec. 2025
The critique appears to have drawn support from most viewers, even if ruffling the feathers of others.
—Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Nov. 2025
Older girls occasionally cornered me on the playground, ruffling my hair and calling me silly names.
—Madhuri Vijay, New Yorker, 16 Nov. 2025
Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 30 Apr. 2026
Below, during a conversation with THR, Cronin also discusses his unique ability to deliver gore without ruffling the MPA’s feathers.
—Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 20 Apr. 2026
When the weather is warm, the best tables are those in the meditative interior courtyard open to blue sky, drifting clouds and the breeze ruffling sudare screens.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 Mar. 2026
But the second set featured the sport’s ultimate heel ruffling feathers once again, when Medvedev won a point on a controversial hindrance call.
—Ava Wallace, New York Times, 13 Mar. 2026
Her jokes were tight and sharp, and pushed the envelope just enough to be funny without truly ruffling any feathers.
—Chris Murphy, Vanity Fair, 11 Jan. 2026
The bricks under my fingers, a breeze ruffling my hair.
—CBS News, 28 Dec. 2025
The critique appears to have drawn support from most viewers, even if ruffling the feathers of others.
—Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Nov. 2025
Older girls occasionally cornered me on the playground, ruffling my hair and calling me silly names.
—Madhuri Vijay, New Yorker, 16 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ruffling
Verb
-
The tears then started to flow, as Zheng took deep breaths and explained that the foot issue was to reapply tape to a foot blister that had been bothering her.—
Charlie Eccleshare,
New York Times,
25 May 2026
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At the same time, the regime has stopped bothering to sell a narrative of national restoration or modernization to the rest of the country, which is losing enormous amounts of blood and treasure in the battlefields of Ukraine.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
16 May 2026
Verb
-
Weird; annoying even – but the floaters did not seem urgent.—
Peter Ubel,
Forbes.com,
20 May 2026
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My biggest concern about adding a tracking device around Mya’s neck was annoying her or creating disruption.—
Tyler Hayes,
PC Magazine,
13 May 2026
Verb
-
Get clear about what’s bugging you.—
USA TODAY,
USA Today,
26 May 2026
-
Woke up this morning, still kind of bugging me.—
Jeff Fletcher,
Oc Register,
26 May 2026
Verb
-
Key Points Cayenne pepper can deter squirrels by irritating their senses without causing harm.—
Melissa Epifano,
The Spruce,
28 May 2026
-
When midges bite, a small welt can emerge that can be itchy and irritating.—
Alexiah Syrai Olsen,
Sacbee.com,
27 May 2026
Verb
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Behind the story One of the really big stories on my beat covering China for the last decade has been Beijing's intensive ramp-up in detaining and persecuting Uyghurs, a primarily Muslim ethnic minority.—
Brittney Melton,
NPR,
26 May 2026
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The South African government has denied persecuting the ethnic minority, composed of descendants of European settlers, mostly from the Netherlands.—
Camilo Montoya-Galvez,
CBS News,
19 May 2026
Verb
-
Best Amazon Outlet Dress Deals There’s something about summer that makes getting dressed feel dramatically easier once dresses enter the picture.—
Aashna Gheewalla,
PEOPLE,
29 May 2026
-
However, some critics are also concerned that getting a weight loss prescription online is usually much easier than getting one through an in-person appointment.—
Maia Rosenfeld,
NBC news,
29 May 2026
Verb
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That is aggravating Americas' frustrations with the president's economic performance, and likely will weigh on his fellow Republicans' performance in November's midterm elections.—
Matt Peterson,
CNBC,
30 May 2026
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Makar hasn’t played since aggravating an apparent upper-body injury in Game 5 of Colorado’s second-round series against the Minnesota Wild.—
Jesse Granger,
New York Times,
24 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ruffling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ruffling. Accessed 2 Jun. 2026.
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