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
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
This is still a Hollywood spectacle, complete with explosions and celebrities and deep-cut needle drops, slick enough to keep Paramount happy without ruffling in-house censors’ feathers yet cool enough to not seem like an assembly-line product.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 11 Nov. 2025
The shoes grounded an ensemble including a white button-down and a black mermaid skirt with ruffling at the bottom.
—Jaden Thompson, Footwear News, 3 Sep. 2019
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
This is still a Hollywood spectacle, complete with explosions and celebrities and deep-cut needle drops, slick enough to keep Paramount happy without ruffling in-house censors’ feathers yet cool enough to not seem like an assembly-line product.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 11 Nov. 2025
The shoes grounded an ensemble including a white button-down and a black mermaid skirt with ruffling at the bottom.
—Jaden Thompson, Footwear News, 3 Sep. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ruffling
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
Verb
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Sometimes, rage bait can be relatively harmless – a recipe that contains disgusting food combinations or someone annoying their pet, partner or sibling.—
Issy Ronald,
CNN Money,
1 Dec. 2025
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But what’s been annoying me even more is that these women should have been trained by producers to start recording on their own cell phones if drama starts to unfold after cameras go down.—
Tom Smyth,
Vulture,
12 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
So, all the things people were yelling about with Southwest weren’t bugging me.—
Lisa Gutierrez,
Kansas City Star,
21 Mar. 2026
-
But so much of my journalism has been about something that’s bugging me.—
Jack Denton,
Vulture,
18 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Sure, there are worse problems to have in life, but there’s no denying that fruit flies are irritating.—
Christine Fiorentino,
Southern Living,
12 Apr. 2026
-
Oklahoma City is irritating, but never stops winning.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
10 Apr. 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
Verb
-
Best Amazon Garden and Outdoor Deals Embrace the warmer weather by getting your outdoor space situated.—
Stephanie Osmanski,
Better Homes & Gardens,
17 Apr. 2026
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The first is that the élite obsession with shaping national politics, and with getting candidates elected, is a distraction.—
Emma Green,
New Yorker,
17 Apr. 2026
Verb
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My ila facial was pure joy—no painful extraction or aggravating scrubs here.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
30 Mar. 2026
-
There might be more than one bench spot to be won on the opening-day roster, as infielder Sung-Mun Song has not swung a bat since aggravating a right oblique strain on Sunday.—
Kevin Acee,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
11 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ruffling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ruffling. Accessed 18 Apr. 2026.
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