as in harassment
the act of making unwelcome intrusions upon another
stop that teasing before you make the baby cry
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
1
as in joking
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
2
as in taunting
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
1
as in kidding
to make fun of in a good-natured way
likes to tease her twin brother about his seemingly endless string of girlfriends
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in mocking
to attack repeatedly with mean put-downs or insults
grew up being teased because his parents were hog farmers
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Recent Examples of teasing
Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 5 May 2026
This was 1967, back when teachers said teasing should be ignored.
—Literary Hub, 3 Apr. 2026
His teasing took on a sharper edge.
—Mekishana Pierre, Entertainment Weekly, 31 Mar. 2026
Each rendezvous, complete with soap opera–worthy drama—hoarding, cheeky teasing, Alex Honnold–worthy climbing, slow-mo acrobatics, and aggression that made gathered onlookers gasp—further cemented our similarities as species.
—Kathryn Romeyn, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 Mar. 2026
The one teasing bit of historical intrigue comes when Le Bail’s lawyer (Elijah Wood) insists that the rules state each clan must attack Grace and Faith using weapons from the era in which their ancestors made their satanic pact.
—Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 19 Mar. 2026
Overall, Mau took his time letting mixes build, extending a teasing, slow burn style that exemplified restraint and good taste, and always paid off when the beat dropped.
—Katie Bain, Billboard, 16 Mar. 2026
Cawood introduced Gavitt — a snippet of Cawood’s remarks were carried on the telecast, subjecting him to considerable teasing — who spoke live on national television at the front of a Hyatt ballroom full of people.
—Bill Hancock, Kansas City Star, 12 Mar. 2026
Most of the threat to Iceland came from wingers Lauren James on the left and Lauren Hemp on the right, who cut inside delivering teasing crosses.
—Charlotte Harpur, New York Times, 8 Mar. 2026
Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 14 Apr. 2026
Glenn Garner, Deadline, 10 May 2026
Shania Twain has fans buzzing after teasing a new single on social media.
—Lori A Bashian, FOXNews.com, 8 May 2026
The teasing comb is this ponytail's best friend.
—Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 5 May 2026
After weeks of teasing fans, The Rolling Stones have finally spilled the beans about their new music.
—Jill Lances, ABC News, 5 May 2026
The conversation includes some light teasing about each other’s attachment styles — the intimate banter of close friends.
—Maddie Connors, Los Angeles Times, 4 May 2026
On April 30, Beyoncé updated her website to feature a photo of Destiny’s Child alongside rock legend Stevie Nicks, teasing a potential collaboration.
—Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 30 Apr. 2026
Madonna, meanwhile, is back in circulation, coming off Coachella appearances and teasing new music with Sabrina Carpenter.
—Seth Abramovitch, HollywoodReporter, 30 Apr. 2026
On Tuesday, April 28, the singer and rapper shared a post on Instagram featuring multiple snaps from her 38th birthday celebrations, as well as teasing the release date for her upcoming album, Bitch.
—Gabrielle Rockson, PEOPLE, 29 Apr. 2026
Noun
Moss-Bachrach runs through a lot of emotions countering Bernthal here, cycling Richie through jokey acceptance of Mikey’s razzing, some light teasing of his own, and glimpses of uncertainty.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 5 May 2026
This was 1967, back when teachers said teasing should be ignored.
—Literary Hub, 3 Apr. 2026
His teasing took on a sharper edge.
—Mekishana Pierre, Entertainment Weekly, 31 Mar. 2026
Each rendezvous, complete with soap opera–worthy drama—hoarding, cheeky teasing, Alex Honnold–worthy climbing, slow-mo acrobatics, and aggression that made gathered onlookers gasp—further cemented our similarities as species.
—Kathryn Romeyn, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 Mar. 2026
The one teasing bit of historical intrigue comes when Le Bail’s lawyer (Elijah Wood) insists that the rules state each clan must attack Grace and Faith using weapons from the era in which their ancestors made their satanic pact.
—Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 19 Mar. 2026
Overall, Mau took his time letting mixes build, extending a teasing, slow burn style that exemplified restraint and good taste, and always paid off when the beat dropped.
—Katie Bain, Billboard, 16 Mar. 2026
Cawood introduced Gavitt — a snippet of Cawood’s remarks were carried on the telecast, subjecting him to considerable teasing — who spoke live on national television at the front of a Hyatt ballroom full of people.
—Bill Hancock, Kansas City Star, 12 Mar. 2026
Most of the threat to Iceland came from wingers Lauren James on the left and Lauren Hemp on the right, who cut inside delivering teasing crosses.
—Charlotte Harpur, New York Times, 8 Mar. 2026
Adjective
Or when Reggie purposefully annoys Arthur by having his son, Carmelo (Jalyn Hall), practice with his a cappella group in Arthur’s editing suite, a move that demonstrates the increasingly teasing affection between Arthur and Reggie.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 14 Apr. 2026
Verb
With The Boys teasing a return for Aya Cash‘s Stormfront in the upcoming prequel series, Eric Kripke has no plans to retcon her motivations.
—Glenn Garner, Deadline, 10 May 2026
Shania Twain has fans buzzing after teasing a new single on social media.
—Lori A Bashian, FOXNews.com, 8 May 2026
The teasing comb is this ponytail's best friend.
—Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 5 May 2026
After weeks of teasing fans, The Rolling Stones have finally spilled the beans about their new music.
—Jill Lances, ABC News, 5 May 2026
The conversation includes some light teasing about each other’s attachment styles — the intimate banter of close friends.
—Maddie Connors, Los Angeles Times, 4 May 2026
On April 30, Beyoncé updated her website to feature a photo of Destiny’s Child alongside rock legend Stevie Nicks, teasing a potential collaboration.
—Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 30 Apr. 2026
Madonna, meanwhile, is back in circulation, coming off Coachella appearances and teasing new music with Sabrina Carpenter.
—Seth Abramovitch, HollywoodReporter, 30 Apr. 2026
On Tuesday, April 28, the singer and rapper shared a post on Instagram featuring multiple snaps from her 38th birthday celebrations, as well as teasing the release date for her upcoming album, Bitch.
—Gabrielle Rockson, PEOPLE, 29 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for teasing
Noun
-
At the time, Congress overhauled parts of its opaque workplace complaint system, ended the use of taxpayer money for future harassment settlements, and created new support structures for staff members seeking legal help.—
Nik Popli,
Time,
11 May 2026
-
When Burke was brought to court on misdemeanor assault and harassment charges, prosecutors asked that he be held on $3,000 bail, but, once again, a judge gave him supervised release, according to court documents.—
Rebecca White,
New York Daily News,
9 May 2026
Verb
-
The romantic energy is strong, but so is the temptation to avoid emotional clarity by joking your way through serious feelings.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
12 May 2026
-
But Fonda was simply joking, the actress and activist said while kicking off the opening night of the TCM Classic Film Festival on April 30.—
Bryan Alexander,
USA Today,
1 May 2026
Verb
-
Heck, every club’s supporters were taunting them this way.—
Daniel Taylor,
New York Times,
14 May 2026
-
Hide and Seek follows a new string of murders featuring a dangerous stalker who kidnaps their victims before killing them, taunting them via text in the format of a popular Danish children’s counting rhyme (though the words chosen by the killer are far more violent).—
Barry Levitt,
Time,
7 May 2026
Adjective
-
The thought of doing so in such a short time frame can be stress-inducing.—
Alicia Geigel,
Southern Living,
1 May 2026
-
For those looking for something more adrenaline-inducing, this Small Luxury Hotels of the World member is a quick five-minute drive to the slopes of Europe’s northernmost ski resort, Saariselkä Ski & Sport Resort.—
Travel + Leisure Editors,
Travel + Leisure,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Gosling, of course, was kidding.—
Jake Coyle,
Fortune,
6 May 2026
-
Just kidding, but that would’ve been awesome.—
Maggie Fremont,
Vulture,
17 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Vargas reached out to Charles via a TikTok DM to request a donation, and Charles posted a video on the platform mocking her message.—
Dani Di Placido,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2026
-
Three weeks after that self-mocking self-tape, a Mercedes-Benz was waiting outside one of Bournemouth’s student accommodation blocks.—
Lily Ford,
HollywoodReporter,
14 May 2026
Adjective
-
Joy is not frivolous, pleasure is not shallow, and connection is not optional.—
Maia Niguel Hoskin,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2026
-
The producers tried to throw out the estate’s complaint under California’s anti-SLAPP statute, which is intended to protect free speech against frivolous litigation.—
Anna Tingley,
Variety,
12 May 2026
Adjective
-
The stories featured in this documentary are emotional and inspiring.—
Brent Lang,
Variety,
13 May 2026
-
The emergence of Dorion as a serious contender for the top job last week, and the organization immediately seeming to fold in the face of significant public outcry and criticism, wasn’t exactly confidence-inspiring.—
Thomas Drance,
New York Times,
12 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Teasing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/teasing. Accessed 17 May. 2026.
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