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
Emily Kelleher,
InStyle,
26 June 2026
While there's still plenty of work to come on their feature film collaboration, Fortune laughed off Bush Hager's teasing question about becoming besties with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.
—
Meredith Kile,
PEOPLE,
23 June 2026
Watching for subtle signs, like controlling behavior or mean-spirited teasing, can help parents address bullying early.
—
Sherri Gordon,
Parents,
22 June 2026
The bun has truly impressive volume, but no visible teasing or fluffiness—just dense, smooth structure.
—
Marci Robin,
Allure,
17 June 2026
Season three is cashing in on all the teasing and finally giving us the Dance of the Dragons, the Targaryen civil war that brings Westeros to its knees, in all its bloody and fiery glory.
—
Nic Juarez,
Vulture,
15 June 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
David Denby,
New Yorker,
21 June 2026
The tiny humans sometimes linger in the blank space of your mind, staring back at you in a teasing way.
—
Ross Andersen,
The Atlantic,
12 June 2026
For June, in Miami, that’s a teasing treat.
—
Howard Cohen
june 1,
Miami Herald,
1 June 2026
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
Jonathan M. Gitlin,
ArsTechnica,
1 July 2026
Nike has been teasing its forthcoming partnership with the German team throughout this World Cup.
—
Sara Germano,
Sportico.com,
29 June 2026
That's part of the impetus for the book, Wang explains, teasing that there's something for everyone inside.
—
Carly Tagen-Dye,
PEOPLE,
29 June 2026
Plex is also teasing that a surprise guest may join the cast in Dallas.
—
Brayden Garcia,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
25 June 2026
Croatia found its swagger in the second half, though, when substitute Ante Budimir guided home a teasing cross from Josip Stanisic in the 53rd minute after a clever backheel from Marco Pasalic set him on his way down the right wing.
—
Reuters,
NBC news,
24 June 2026
The pharmaceutical giants behind the monumentally successful weight loss drugs Wegovy and Mounjaro have been teasing an expansion into other aesthetic fields like hair loss or skin care.
—
Allison Deangelis,
STAT,
24 June 2026
The pop singer has been teasing her return to music over the past few weeks with cryptic posts on social media featuring various images accompanied locations, dates and times.
—
Steven J. Horowitz,
Variety,
22 June 2026
The singer has been teasing the song on tour this summer.
—
Emily Zemler,
Rolling Stone,
19 June 2026
Noun
Flat hair can look fuller instantly with the right styling techniques, like root-lifting blowouts and strategic teasing.
—
Emily Kelleher,
InStyle,
26 June 2026
While there's still plenty of work to come on their feature film collaboration, Fortune laughed off Bush Hager's teasing question about becoming besties with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.
—
Meredith Kile,
PEOPLE,
23 June 2026
Watching for subtle signs, like controlling behavior or mean-spirited teasing, can help parents address bullying early.
—
Sherri Gordon,
Parents,
22 June 2026
The bun has truly impressive volume, but no visible teasing or fluffiness—just dense, smooth structure.
—
Marci Robin,
Allure,
17 June 2026
Season three is cashing in on all the teasing and finally giving us the Dance of the Dragons, the Targaryen civil war that brings Westeros to its knees, in all its bloody and fiery glory.
—
Nic Juarez,
Vulture,
15 June 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
Adjective
The thickset Armand Assante was a phlegmatic Odysseus, but Greta Scacchi, as Penelope—who has so little to say in the poem—became the physical embodiment of anger, and Isabella Rossellini was a teasing Athena.
—
David Denby,
New Yorker,
21 June 2026
The tiny humans sometimes linger in the blank space of your mind, staring back at you in a teasing way.
—
Ross Andersen,
The Atlantic,
12 June 2026
For June, in Miami, that’s a teasing treat.
—
Howard Cohen
june 1,
Miami Herald,
1 June 2026
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
After teasing us for a while, Volvo finally showed off the EX30 for real in 2023.
—
Jonathan M. Gitlin,
ArsTechnica,
1 July 2026
Nike has been teasing its forthcoming partnership with the German team throughout this World Cup.
—
Sara Germano,
Sportico.com,
29 June 2026
That's part of the impetus for the book, Wang explains, teasing that there's something for everyone inside.
—
Carly Tagen-Dye,
PEOPLE,
29 June 2026
Plex is also teasing that a surprise guest may join the cast in Dallas.
—
Brayden Garcia,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
25 June 2026
Croatia found its swagger in the second half, though, when substitute Ante Budimir guided home a teasing cross from Josip Stanisic in the 53rd minute after a clever backheel from Marco Pasalic set him on his way down the right wing.
—
Reuters,
NBC news,
24 June 2026
The pharmaceutical giants behind the monumentally successful weight loss drugs Wegovy and Mounjaro have been teasing an expansion into other aesthetic fields like hair loss or skin care.
—
Allison Deangelis,
STAT,
24 June 2026
The pop singer has been teasing her return to music over the past few weeks with cryptic posts on social media featuring various images accompanied locations, dates and times.
—
Steven J. Horowitz,
Variety,
22 June 2026
The singer has been teasing the song on tour this summer.
—
Emily Zemler,
Rolling Stone,
19 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for teasing
Noun
-
Court paperwork shows Deshong is facing charges of harassment, indecent assault and stalking.
-
He has been accused by more than 80 women of misconduct, ranging from harassment to rape, over decades and in multiple jurisdictions around the world.
Adjective
-
The decision followed the Columbia Association's ethics panel concluding that Greenberg, Emery, and Avery filed a frivolous ethics complaint.
-
Her attorneys argued that the fee award would help to deter frivolous and retaliatory suits against accusers in the future.
Adjective
-
Work in context is both more productive and less burnout-inducing.
-
In the fifth and final season of The Boys, creator-showrunner Eric Kripke and his writers’ room had their work cut out for them, with a complex cast of characters’ arcs to wrap up, from the heartbreaking to the adrenaline-inducing and absurdly hilarious.
Verb
-
Following the convincing 3-0 victory over Czechia while resting some starters, the atmosphere on the Mexican team has been very relaxed, with several videos showing the players joking around with each other.
-
There were quips and laughs during the postgame news conference, but Skubal’s overall tone was hardly joking.
Verb
-
Hendry sang, taunting Austin Theory, Logan Paul, Paul Heyman and even Brock Lesnar.
-
Though suspicious, the recording was not considered incriminating, as Hodel may have suspected his home was wiretapped and was taunting police.
Adjective
-
The hot new subject areas were comic-book studies, science fiction, and children’s literature.
-
Brown has matured nicely in the role, exhibiting a newfound steeliness and steadily increasing comic chops.
Adjective
-
The Knicks were actually good, breaking a 53-year-drought by winning the NBA championship and inspiring acts of passion and mania across the city.
-
At a time when artificial intelligence and software continue to reshape the creative landscape, the MPC Sample became a powerful reminder that hands-on music-making remains as influential and inspiring as ever.
Verb
-
Just kidding, but seeing Angela’s team sweep Shamea’s at the Bailey Bowl basketball tournament was almost as satisfying as knowing Charles got to witness his former team’s historic win in person.
-
Room was kidding, but someone inside Arrowhead Stadium on Saturday night had the power to make that happen.
Cite this Entry
“Teasing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/teasing. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.
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