as in headaches
something that is a source of irritation
your constant questions are a thorn in my side
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Recent Examples of thorns
These territorial thorns aside, Zelensky has said a proposed three-way split of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant between the US, Russia and Ukraine remains a big stumbling block.
—
Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 21 Jan. 2026
The Teyana Taylor x Air Jordan 1, her first sneaker collaboration, released in 2023 with a predominantly red colorway featuring green thorns on its Swoosh and a massive removable gold-tone metal charm featuring her initials and a rose.
—Ian Servantes, Footwear News, 12 Jan. 2026
Make sure to wear leather gloves to protect your hands from rose thorns.
—Lauren Landers, The Spruce, 10 Jan. 2026
Season 1 detailed how Robby—a crinkle-eyed stalwart whose stethoscope seems made of thorns—was still suffering from PTSD from his experiences working during the coronavirus pandemic, while a violent attack from a patient made the otherwise flinty Dana reconsider whether her job was still bearable.
—Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 10 Jan. 2026
The crown of thorns sat like the Death Star in the middle, eating the coral alive.
—Susan Casey, Travel + Leisure, 10 Jan. 2026
From the outside, Will manages to tap into his powers and overwhelm Vecna with his newfound confidence, snapping Vecna’s arm and allowing Eleven to impale his body on the Mind Flayer’s thorns.
—Dani Di Placido, Forbes.com, 4 Jan. 2026
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
Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 21 Jan. 2026
The Teyana Taylor x Air Jordan 1, her first sneaker collaboration, released in 2023 with a predominantly red colorway featuring green thorns on its Swoosh and a massive removable gold-tone metal charm featuring her initials and a rose.
—Ian Servantes, Footwear News, 12 Jan. 2026
Make sure to wear leather gloves to protect your hands from rose thorns.
—Lauren Landers, The Spruce, 10 Jan. 2026
Season 1 detailed how Robby—a crinkle-eyed stalwart whose stethoscope seems made of thorns—was still suffering from PTSD from his experiences working during the coronavirus pandemic, while a violent attack from a patient made the otherwise flinty Dana reconsider whether her job was still bearable.
—Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 10 Jan. 2026
The crown of thorns sat like the Death Star in the middle, eating the coral alive.
—Susan Casey, Travel + Leisure, 10 Jan. 2026
From the outside, Will manages to tap into his powers and overwhelm Vecna with his newfound confidence, snapping Vecna’s arm and allowing Eleven to impale his body on the Mind Flayer’s thorns.
—Dani Di Placido, Forbes.com, 4 Jan. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for thorns
Noun
-
But in the weeks leading up to Christmas of 2021, Avery started getting headaches.—
Isabella Backman,
Hartford Courant,
27 Jan. 2026
-
No headaches, no residual or negative effects from the accident.—
Will Rice,
Outside,
27 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Scott is blunt about his frustrations with critics, and about his annoyance at the Grammys.—
Jeff Ihaza,
Rolling Stone,
21 Jan. 2026
-
The Micro Honey Harvester was the result of six years of experimenting with prototypes along with feedback from beekeepers worldwide who vented about the frustrations of honey production being laborious, messy and stressful for both beekeepers and the bees.—
Shirl Leigh
January 20,
New Atlas,
20 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The park doesn’t need all these associated nuisances.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
8 Jan. 2026
-
In Milwaukee, nuisances include loud music, loitering and littering.—
Quinn Clark,
jsonline.com,
25 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
At the peak of the standoffs between protesters and federal officers on Saturday, airborne chemical irritants were discharged by officers and whistling and shouting were audible on live video from CBS Minnesota.—
Kiki Intarasuwan,
CBS News,
25 Jan. 2026
-
More often than not, sneezing is due to respiratory infections, foreign bodies that have gotten into the nasal passages, or various irritants found in the environment.—
Dr. John De Jong,
Boston Herald,
25 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Thorns.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/thorns. Accessed 29 Jan. 2026.
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