vexes

verb

present tense third-person singular of vex
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

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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

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 vexes As much as the parameter-less financial model of the modern major college athletic department vexes leaders, the realities of the transfer portal are a close second — because they are linked. — Mac Engel april 23, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 23 Apr. 2026 In flashbacks, viewers learn why Dorothy (Amanda Righetti) left an 11-year-old Lucy (Savannah Lumar) in Kay’s care, and how Lucy and Kay’s codependency continually vexes Dorothy. — Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 10 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for vexes
  1. annoys
  2. perplexes
  3. bothers
  4. confuses
  5. irritates
  6. bewilders
  7. persecutes
  8. baffles
Verb
  • Hotel-booking platform HotelTonight surveyed 447 of its American adult users in June about what annoys them the most during travel.
    — Kathleen Wong, USA Today, 21 July 2026
  • But Turner is a symbol for everything that annoys people about the Phillies.
    — Matt Gelb, New York Times, 19 July 2026
Definition of annoys
Verb
  • 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
Definition of perplexes
Verb
  • The result is a bunch of people losing their jobs, which really bothers me.
    — Aaron Portzline, New York Times, 4 Aug. 2026
  • Refresh the space that bothers you most before making bigger visibility decisions.
    — Tarot.com, New York Daily News, 20 July 2026
Definition of bothers
Verb
  • These opportunists drown out the core mission, creating a cacophony of competing voices that confuses donors, crowd the inboxes of CEOs and members of Congress with colliding petitions, and paralyzes meaningful action by draining critical funding and attention away from the truly effective groups.
    — Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Time, 28 June 2026
  • But nobody confuses Harvard Extension School classes with the real thing.
    — Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 23 June 2026
Definition of confuses
Verb
  • The capsaicin in hot peppers irritates pests and deters them from feeding on plants.
    — Farima Ferguson, The Spruce, 15 July 2026
  • Anyone who has sat through a mandatory team-building exercise knows the difference between a ritual that binds and a program that irritates.
    — Julia Dhar, Time, 11 July 2026
Definition of irritates
Verb
  • As fans of the comedian know, Ali G is a streetwise interviewer whose hip hop slang often bewilders guests such as Noam Chomsky, Andy Rooney and Newt Gingrich.
    — Brent Lang, Variety, 7 July 2026
  • The narrator and his wife find that their attachment to the charismatic and cryptic Chibi grows with the cat’s increasing visits, in a way that bewilders them but somehow bonds them closer together.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 9 June 2026
Definition of bewilders
Verb
  • 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
  • In Russia, the civilian repressive apparatus persecutes the military, which leaps at every chance for revenge.
    — Stephen Kotkin, Foreign Affairs, 16 Dec. 2025
Definition of persecutes
Verb
  • Meanwhile, McGrew agreed to adjustments, including adding baffles to reduce sound from a attached generator for the tower and replacing tower fencing that incorporated barbed wire with taller, more natural looking fencing.
    — Olivia Stevens, Chicago Tribune, 9 July 2026
  • Using humane methods like squirrel baffles and tree nets can effectively keep squirrels out of your fruit trees.
    — Michelle Mastro, Martha Stewart, 18 June 2026
Definition of baffles

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Cite this Entry

“Vexes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vexes. Accessed 7 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of vexes for Spanish Speakers

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