tease 1 of 2

tease

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verb

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb tease contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of tease are annoy, harass, harry, pester, plague, and worry. While all these words mean "to disturb or irritate by persistent acts," tease suggests an attempt to break down one's resistance or rouse to wrath.

children teased the dog

In what contexts can annoy take the place of tease?

While in some cases nearly identical to tease, annoy implies disturbing one's composure or peace of mind by intrusion, interference, or petty attacks.

you're doing that just to annoy me

When would harass be a good substitute for tease?

In some situations, the words harass and tease are roughly equivalent. However, harass implies petty persecutions or burdensome demands that exhaust one's nervous or mental power.

harassed on all sides by creditors

When can harry be used instead of tease?

Although the words harry and tease have much in common, harry may imply heavy oppression or maltreatment.

the strikers had been harried by thugs

Where would pester be a reasonable alternative to tease?

The synonyms pester and tease are sometimes interchangeable, but pester stresses the repetition of petty attacks.

constantly pestered with trivial complaints

When might plague be a better fit than tease?

The words plague and tease can be used in similar contexts, but plague implies a painful and persistent affliction.

plagued all her life by poverty

When is it sensible to use worry instead of tease?

The words worry and tease are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, worry implies an incessant goading or attacking that drives one to desperation.

pursued a policy of worrying the enemy

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 tease
Noun
Try Light Kink A little sting, a little tease, a little restraint? Dominique Fluker, Essence, 8 Apr. 2025 Author and showrunner Jenny Han teases that season 3 will deviate from the storyline in her book series. Randall Colburn, EW.com, 6 Apr. 2025
Verb
Hotel corridors could tease the next day’s adventures. Kate Hardcastle, Forbes.com, 27 Apr. 2025 During his conversation with Wolfhard, the The Culinary Bro-Down Cookbook author playfully teased the Canadian actor. Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for tease
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tease
Noun
  • On April 30th, 2022, a security guard at a local business plaza called the police to report Mary as a nuisance.
    Sarah Stillman, New Yorker, 14 Apr. 2025
  • Protester Trenton Oldfield swam in front of both boats and was jailed for six months for causing a public nuisance.
    Tim Spiers, New York Times, 12 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • The Whalen video used audio of Hemphill joking about the possibility of activists getting arrested for removing the Pride flag.
    Sally Krutzig, Idaho Statesman, 20 Apr. 2025
  • Several users joked about the situation, with one user posting a photo of the Spotify logo on top of a grave.
    Miranda Nazzaro, The Hill, 16 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Trump has a long history of taunting Swift, who used her platform to endorse Joe Biden in 2020 and Kamala Harris in 2024 after expressing regret about not endorsing a candidate in the 2016 presidential election.
    Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 29 Apr. 2025
  • News to Know Guardians apologize to Duran The Cleveland Guardians issued an apology to Red Sox outfielder Jarren Duran after a fan taunted Duran yesterday.
    Chris Branch, New York Times, 28 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • As per previous Super Robot Wars games, the initial teaser trailer doesn’t tend to reveal the full roster of series involved in each game.
    Ollie Barder, Forbes.com, 21 Apr. 2025
  • Star Wars: Starfighter is slated to hit theaters on May 28, 2027, according to the official teaser trailer.
    Samantha Stutsman, People.com, 19 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • And inadequate feedback can cause annoyance at best, and injury at worst.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 16 Apr. 2025
  • Competitive gamers seeking fast, lag-free performance without the annoyance of wires won't find much better than the ultra-lightweight Razer Viper Ultimate.
    Cierra Cowan, PC Magazine, 16 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • And neither Bibb, Le Bon nor Gries were kidding, as there wasn’t just one death, but five.
    Tim Lammers, Forbes.com, 7 Apr. 2025
  • Who are Manager Brandon Hyde and General Manager Mike Elias kidding here?
    Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 28 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • Rosin produced with outdoor flower is more susceptible to microbial contamination and pest infestation, requiring more pesticide treatments and potentially remediation.
    David Goldburg, Hartford Courant, 21 Apr. 2025
  • Using other plants to minimize unwanted insects is a natural way for pest control.
    Lauren David, Southern Living, 20 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Each time, Paqueta rose with the pleasure of being their chief tormentor.
    Roshane Thomas, New York Times, 14 Apr. 2025
  • Coming out a bit later than usual after some resistance from India's top-order, Kohli knew what was coming from tormentor Scott Boland.
    Tristan Lavalette, Forbes, 4 Jan. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Tease.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tease. Accessed 5 May. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on tease

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