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
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During his hearing on Wednesday, Mohammed reported stomach pain and headaches, his father said.—
Jeremy Diamond,
CNN Money,
30 Oct. 2025
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Among the opponents are some residents of Alton Road, who say that gating off North Bay Road would worsen the city’s already substantial traffic problems and create headaches for people trying to access their homes.—
Aaron Leibowitz,
Miami Herald,
29 Oct. 2025
Noun
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From the season premiere, fans remarked on how different this cast felt, taking to social media platforms like Reddit and TikTok to express their frustrations.—
Christian Orozco,
NBC news,
30 Oct. 2025
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At first, Maia vents her frustrations with her attention-seeking friend.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
30 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Yellow fever, Zika and more There are over 200 types of mosquitoes in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), but most are just nuisances.—
Mary Walrath-Holdridge,
USA Today,
29 Oct. 2025
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Decades ago, marshes were considered nuisances, soggy flats to be drained, dried, and made waterproof with liberal coatings of asphalt.—
Justin Davidson,
Curbed,
9 Sep. 2025
Noun
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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
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It was formulated free of typical eye irritants, including parabens, formaldehydes, phthalates, mineral oil, and contained less than one percent synthetic fragrance.—
Essence,
Essence,
28 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Thorns.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/thorns. Accessed 6 Nov. 2025.
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