1
as in annoys
to disturb the peace of mind of (someone) especially by repeated disagreeable acts
my coworkers' loud, endless conversations vexed me
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in perplexes
to throw into a state of mental uncertainty
a mystery novel that is sure to vex even the canniest readers
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for vexes
Verb
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What is the pettiest thing that annoys you during a race weekend?—
Jeff Gluck,
New York Times,
5 Mar. 2026 -
Think of something that annoys you, connect it to masculinity by adding bro, and proceed as though that bro were a category of person.—
Dan Brooks,
The Atlantic,
26 Feb. 2026
Verb
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But the unknown in that equation is what perplexes the Mavericks and has the team stuck for now.—
Tim Cowlishaw,
Dallas Morning News,
1 Jan. 2026
Verb
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That notion clearly bothers Schoen and the organization.—
Dan Duggan,
New York Times,
3 Mar. 2026
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One thing that bothers him, though, is the calls from GVA asking for cash to shore up financing on the underwater properties as loan rates skyrocketed and monthly debt servicing led to losses.—
Paul Flahive,
Austin American Statesman,
16 Feb. 2026
Verb
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If the concept confuses, check out their podcast.—
Christopher Arnott,
Hartford Courant,
21 Feb. 2026
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No one confuses kilowatt-hours with productivity, yet no serious economy flies blind without tracking them.—
Noosheen Hashemi,
Time,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
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If something irritates you, the Aries moon encourages you to speak up.—
USA TODAY,
USA Today,
21 Feb. 2026
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There’s another distinctly New York habit that irritates Manville — at the end of the performances, theatergoers leap to their feat, not just to applaud, but to whip out their cellphones to record the curtain call.—
Brent Lang,
Variety,
16 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Nandi is experiencing severe insomnia, tremors and psychosis, and her quickly deteriorating condition bewilders the emergency room staff.—
Sandee LaMotte,
CNN Money,
21 Oct. 2025
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The designs were puckish and gender-bending, evoking both awe and repulsion—the sort of clothing that titillates lovers of conceptual fashion and bewilders the uninitiated.—
Ana Karina Zatarain,
New Yorker,
19 Sep. 2025
Verb
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China, which jails human rights activists in Hong Kong, persecutes Uyghurs, has killed hundreds of thousands of Tibetans and has committed genocide against the Falun Gong, is on the UN Human Rights Council.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
18 Feb. 2026
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In Russia, the civilian repressive apparatus persecutes the military, which leaps at every chance for revenge.—
Stephen Kotkin,
Foreign Affairs,
16 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Mount predator baffles and guards to the pole or tree during installation.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
Southern Living,
28 Feb. 2026
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The continued controversy over the Bad Bunny Super Bowl performance baffles me.—
Letters to the Editor,
The Orlando Sentinel,
18 Feb. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Vexes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vexes. Accessed 10 Mar. 2026.
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