as in headaches
something that is a source of irritation
your constant questions are a thorn in my side
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of thorns
Use clean pruners to trim away shoots, thorns, or roots along the soil and to help maintain the tree’s size.
—
Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 17 Dec. 2025
Even delicate feline nostrils and curved claws that could scratch like thorns won her undying admiration.
—Literary Hub, 9 Dec. 2025
Always wear thick leather gloves to protect against this plant's sharp thorns.
—Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 8 Dec. 2025
Perfidia is a contradiction nestled in thorns, selfish and prickly and bold.
—Angelica Jade Bastién, Vulture, 24 Nov. 2025
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
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
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
Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 17 Dec. 2025
Even delicate feline nostrils and curved claws that could scratch like thorns won her undying admiration.
—Literary Hub, 9 Dec. 2025
Always wear thick leather gloves to protect against this plant's sharp thorns.
—Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 8 Dec. 2025
Perfidia is a contradiction nestled in thorns, selfish and prickly and bold.
—Angelica Jade Bastién, Vulture, 24 Nov. 2025
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
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
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
-
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
-
In Milwaukee, nuisances include loud music, loitering and littering.—
Quinn Clark,
jsonline.com,
25 Dec. 2025
-
While those invaders are mainly nuisances, cockroaches are a different story.—
Arricca Elin SanSone,
Southern Living,
10 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
So mascaras with nourishing ingredients like vitamin E and hyaluronic acid, and formulated without drying alcohol or irritants like parabens, will be your new go-tos.—
Shalwah Evans,
Glamour,
31 Dec. 2025
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This filtration system ensures that your floors are getting their most thorough clean, while also ridding your space of irritants like dust that can cause allergy flare-ups.—
Yelena Moroz Alpert,
Architectural Digest,
23 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Thorns.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/thorns. Accessed 8 Jan. 2026.
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