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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
This lore drop about the legendary warrior-chief is a withering tease for Kōnane, a once-ubiquitous pastime that was carved into stone slabs across the islands, some of which still protrude from the ground. Matt Negrin, Rolling Stone, 20 Sep. 2025 The brief meeting will serve as a tease for a larger reunion in the show's final two episodes. Maureen Lee Lenker, Entertainment Weekly, 20 Sep. 2025
Verb
During an appearance on Rolling Stone’s Nashville Now podcast, Shires talked about the collective’s plans, saying that Morris first teased a reunion during a performance at the Gorge in Washington state. Joseph Hudak, Rolling Stone, 29 Sep. 2025 Emerald Fennell is teasing her film adaptation of Wuthering Heights, which garnered significant attention following the release of the trailer earlier this month. Armando Tinoco, Deadline, 29 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for tease
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tease
Noun
  • The students, identified by police as Kyle Anderson and Samuel Patten, both 18, were each charged with burglary in the second degree as a hate crime and criminal nuisance in the second degree, police said.
    Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 26 Sep. 2025
  • The insects can be a nuisance but won't cause structural damage or harm you.
    Andrea Beck, Better Homes & Gardens, 26 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Sucker Punch recently fired a developer who joked about right-wing commentator Charlie Kirk’s assassination after the same people who vowed to never play Yotei launched a cancel campaign against the studio.
    Alyssa Mercante, Rolling Stone, 25 Sep. 2025
  • The pair also joked about it when the former President showed up on the podcast Michelle Obama co-hosts with her brother, titled IMO with Michelle Obama and Craig Robinson.
    Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 25 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Rutgers quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis was relishing in his return to Minnesota, taunting the Gophers’ student section after his second touchdown pass on Saturday afternoon.
    Andy Greder, Twin Cities, 29 Sep. 2025
  • During the game in the first quarter, DeJean was called for an unsportsmanlike penalty for taunting.
    Evan Massey, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • The teaser, below, is pretty creepy.
    Brian Welk, IndieWire, 23 Sep. 2025
  • So what better time for the studio to release the first teaser trailer for The Mandalorian and Grogu, a feature film spinoff from its megahit Star Wars series The Mandalorian?
    ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 22 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Uber was born out of correcting a daily annoyance, which scaled a $203 billion company.
    Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 28 Sep. 2025
  • Denise – scrappy, sarcastic, and clever – at first was hostile towards Steven, but that passionate annoyance later evolved into teasing, affectionate companionship.
    Sarah John, Vulture, 24 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Now, Wilson is showing off his brand's latest back-to-school collection as part of Macy's x Rookie kids fashion show, and his three eldest kids walked the runway.
    Skyler Caruso, PEOPLE, 19 Sep. 2025
  • In that novel Lockwood managed to come across as a master of the American folk art of kidding (as Dwight Macdonald said of Delmore Schwartz) yet was deadly serious at the same time.
    Book Marks September 18, Literary Hub, 18 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • The documentary tells the true story of a teenage couple relentlessly bullied via text by an anonymous harasser.
    EW.com, EW.com, 2 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • For decades, generals, coup-plotters, and torturers walked free under the shield of amnesty laws passed after the country’s 21-year dictatorship.
    Julia Vargas Jones, CNN Money, 12 Sep. 2025
  • Is the man actually his torturer?
    Zach Dennis, Charlotte Observer, 9 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Tease.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tease. Accessed 3 Oct. 2025.

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