as in headaches
something that is a source of irritation
your constant questions are a thorn in my side
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of thorns
To eat the nopales, remove the spines (spikes, thorns, or barbs) and use them raw in salads or cooked in soups or tacos.
—
Barbie Cervoni, Verywell Health, 22 Oct. 2025
What fantastic fantasies will lure risk-seeking treasure hunters to breach the massive walls of iron thorns surrounding mysterious radioactive caverns buried deep in the deserts?
—Literary Hub, 22 Oct. 2025
Buds will fail to open properly, and some of the canes will have multitudes of thorns.
—Neil Sperry, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 10 Oct. 2025
Since his introduction in Peacemaker’s first season, the sarcastic, Cheeto-devouring martial arts expert has been one of the sharpest thorns in the sides of the 11th Street Kids.
—Scott Meslow, Vulture, 3 Oct. 2025
One was treated for minor injuries, likely from rose-bush thorns, Christensen said.
—David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 22 Aug. 2025
Both the northern and southern branches of the reef have been battered lately by tropical storms and the encroachment of invasive coral-eating crown-of-thorns starfish, but heat stress driven by warming oceans is the primary cause, scientists told the BBC.
—Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 7 Aug. 2025
Barbie Cervoni, Verywell Health, 22 Oct. 2025
What fantastic fantasies will lure risk-seeking treasure hunters to breach the massive walls of iron thorns surrounding mysterious radioactive caverns buried deep in the deserts?
—Literary Hub, 22 Oct. 2025
Buds will fail to open properly, and some of the canes will have multitudes of thorns.
—Neil Sperry, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 10 Oct. 2025
Since his introduction in Peacemaker’s first season, the sarcastic, Cheeto-devouring martial arts expert has been one of the sharpest thorns in the sides of the 11th Street Kids.
—Scott Meslow, Vulture, 3 Oct. 2025
One was treated for minor injuries, likely from rose-bush thorns, Christensen said.
—David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 22 Aug. 2025
Both the northern and southern branches of the reef have been battered lately by tropical storms and the encroachment of invasive coral-eating crown-of-thorns starfish, but heat stress driven by warming oceans is the primary cause, scientists told the BBC.
—Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 7 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for thorns
Noun
-
Aldo Olivieri, il Gatto Magico (the Magic Cat), who had survived a fractured skull that required drilling to save his life and left him with chronic headaches, became the first-choice goalkeeper.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 Nov. 2025
-
But the holiday headaches might get much worse as the government shutdown causes flight reductions at major airports.—
Chris Isidore,
CNN Money,
6 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Mamdani’s agenda—rent freezes, universal childcare, free public transit—echoes the frustrations of a city where affordability and dignity have become luxuries.—
Newsweek Contributors,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 Nov. 2025
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Designers are focusing on solving the real frustrations travelers face in airports, train stations and hotel rooms.—
Sal Vaglica,
USA Today,
4 Nov. 2025
Noun
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An Orange County judge granted the city of Santa Ana’s request for a preliminary injunction against several businesses on East First Street accused of being public nuisances.—
Mona Darwish,
Oc Register,
8 Nov. 2025
-
The surfers, initially viewed by some as welcome curiosities and by others as nuisances, became harbingers of economic salvation through tourism, now the dominant industry, though still a relatively new one.—
David Amsden,
Travel + Leisure,
5 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Another standout feature is its CertiPur-US and Greenguard Gold certifications, which mean it’s made without harmful materials and won’t release irritants that can trigger allergies.—
Toni Sutton,
PEOPLE,
6 Nov. 2025
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Nearby, other agents fire chemical irritants into the ground to keep bystanders away, appearing to cause some people to cough, the video shows.—
Nicquel Terry Ellis,
CNN Money,
2 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Thorns.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/thorns. Accessed 14 Nov. 2025.
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