as in headaches
something that is a source of irritation
your constant questions are a thorn in my side
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of thorns
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
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
-
At the higher doses, most people had brief hallucinations or visual distortions, along with some nausea and headaches.—
Dr. Christian S. Monsalve,
ABC News,
4 Sep. 2025
-
The exhausted teen has headaches and blurred vision sleeps about 75% of the day.—
Wendy Grossman Kantor,
PEOPLE,
4 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
For Wilson, her story starts like that of many who face the same frustrations, but few who use their magic to turn them into solutions.—
Essence,
Essence,
4 Sep. 2025
-
Their frustrations with current solutions point to future opportunities.—
Jodie Cook,
Forbes.com,
3 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
But according to Aaron Shmulewitz, a real-estate lawyer, the process for dealing with a repeat window flasher in your co-op isn’t all that different from other nuisances like someone across the hall blasting metal music at midnight.—
Matthew Sedacca,
Curbed,
15 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
The test identifies over 120 allergens, including food intolerances, environmental triggers, and household irritants.—
Kasey Caminiti,
USA Today,
6 Sep. 2025
-
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,
3 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Thorns.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/thorns. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share