as in pains
a state of great suffering of body or mind
a tale of misery and woe
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 woes
There is romance, a lot of golf lore and history, familial woes and joys, and a world fashioned with wit and written with style.
—
Rick Kogan, Chicago Tribune, 8 Apr. 2026
And Canadians also report woes about the paperwork requirements when driving south across the US border for an extended stay.
—CNN Money, 8 Apr. 2026
Their special-teams woes persisted.
—Andrew Knoll, Oc Register, 8 Apr. 2026
Part of the return issues certainly came from blocking woes ahead of the ball, but Boise State is looking to incorporate some more familiar faces — and speed — in the return game in 2026.
—Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 7 Apr. 2026
Defenseman Tyson Hinds made his NHL debut for the Ducks, whose defensive struggles are the primary source of their late-season woes.
—Los Angeles Times, 5 Apr. 2026
China’s leadership has appeared even more paralyzed over the country’s mounting economic woes.
—Michael Schuman, The Atlantic, 1 Apr. 2026
This could bring starts for the likes of Kobbie Mainoo, Nico O’Reilly, Phil Foden or Cole Palmer, the latter of whom has endured repeat injury woes at Chelsea this season.
—Ben Verbrugge, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2026
On Thursday, a lack of air traffic controllers (not related to funding woes) led to nearly 200 delays.
—Phillip Molnar, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 Mar. 2026
Rick Kogan, Chicago Tribune, 8 Apr. 2026
And Canadians also report woes about the paperwork requirements when driving south across the US border for an extended stay.
—CNN Money, 8 Apr. 2026
Their special-teams woes persisted.
—Andrew Knoll, Oc Register, 8 Apr. 2026
Part of the return issues certainly came from blocking woes ahead of the ball, but Boise State is looking to incorporate some more familiar faces — and speed — in the return game in 2026.
—Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 7 Apr. 2026
Defenseman Tyson Hinds made his NHL debut for the Ducks, whose defensive struggles are the primary source of their late-season woes.
—Los Angeles Times, 5 Apr. 2026
China’s leadership has appeared even more paralyzed over the country’s mounting economic woes.
—Michael Schuman, The Atlantic, 1 Apr. 2026
This could bring starts for the likes of Kobbie Mainoo, Nico O’Reilly, Phil Foden or Cole Palmer, the latter of whom has endured repeat injury woes at Chelsea this season.
—Ben Verbrugge, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2026
On Thursday, a lack of air traffic controllers (not related to funding woes) led to nearly 200 delays.
—Phillip Molnar, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for woes
Noun
-
Bondi's public embrace of the president, however, marked a sharp departure from her predecessors, who generally took pains to maintain an arm's-length distance from the White House to protect the impartiality of investigations and prosecutions.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
3 Apr. 2026
-
Whether biennials or museum shows, exhibitions are spaces for learning about images, the world, and the pains and delights of being alive.—
Raphael Fonseca,
Artforum,
2 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
And yet, in the scene on the Hill of Love, Lapid offers no self-questioning, no sense of cinematic exertion or trouble, in the fictional framing of the real agonies of Gaza.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
27 Mar. 2026
-
The celebrated poet and memoirist, delves into the agonies of her decision and describes the emerging women’s liberation movement, of which Moore would soon become a participant.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
20 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Inarguably one of the best teams in the country annually, the Boilermakers had a string of March miseries.—
Dana O’Neil,
CNN Money,
18 Mar. 2026
-
And allergy miseries don’t end after the spring.—
Tom Gavin,
EverydayHealth.com,
11 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Woes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/woes. Accessed 11 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
