badger 1 of 2

Definition of badgernext

badger

2 of 2

noun

Synonym Chooser

How is the word badger distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of badger are bait, chivy, heckle, hector, and hound. While all these words mean "to harass by efforts to break down," badger implies pestering so as to drive a person to confusion or frenzy.

badgered her father for a car

When could bait be used to replace badger?

The words bait and badger are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, bait implies wanton cruelty or delight in persecuting a helpless victim.

baited the chained dog

When might chivy be a better fit than badger?

The words chivy and badger can be used in similar contexts, but chivy suggests persecution by teasing or nagging.

chivied the new student mercilessly

When is it sensible to use heckle instead of badger?

The synonyms heckle and badger are sometimes interchangeable, but heckle implies persistent annoying or belligerent interruptions of a speaker.

drunks heckled the stand-up comic

In what contexts can hector take the place of badger?

Although the words hector and badger have much in common, hector carries an implication of bullying and domineering.

football players hectored by their coach

When would hound be a good substitute for badger?

The meanings of hound and badger largely overlap; however, hound implies unrelenting pursuit and harassing.

hounded by creditors

How is the word badger distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of badger are bait, chivy, heckle, hector, and hound. While all these words mean "to harass by efforts to break down," badger implies pestering so as to drive a person to confusion or frenzy.

badgered her father for a car

When could bait be used to replace badger?

The words bait and badger are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, bait implies wanton cruelty or delight in persecuting a helpless victim.

baited the chained dog

When might chivy be a better fit than badger?

The words chivy and badger can be used in similar contexts, but chivy suggests persecution by teasing or nagging.

chivied the new student mercilessly

When is it sensible to use heckle instead of badger?

The synonyms heckle and badger are sometimes interchangeable, but heckle implies persistent annoying or belligerent interruptions of a speaker.

drunks heckled the stand-up comic

In what contexts can hector take the place of badger?

Although the words hector and badger have much in common, hector carries an implication of bullying and domineering.

football players hectored by their coach

When would hound be a good substitute for badger?

The meanings of hound and badger largely overlap; however, hound implies unrelenting pursuit and harassing.

hounded by creditors

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 badger
Verb
Not only in badgering a quarterback making his first start or in holding Tennessee without a touchdown. Parker Gabriel, Denver Post, 4 Jan. 2026 Jason Bateman shines in the scene with the Diamond District connect, fast-talking and badgering this guy within an inch of his life until Mancuso and Babbitt show up to take him out. Andy Andersen, Vulture, 19 Sep. 2025
Noun
This American groundhog tradition apparently started with German immigrants recalling the spring emergence of badgers and hedgehogs in the old country. Steven Sullivan, The Conversation, 26 Jan. 2026 It's become the boy who cried wolf, bear, moose, badger, wombat, elephant, natterjack toad, mandrel, meerkat, blue whale, lesser skink, prairie dog, ferret, wildebeest, dingo, tree kangaroo, sloth, anteater, blue-footed booby, Norwegian Blue, and half the catalog in the Museum of Natural History. New Atlas, 24 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for badger
Recent Examples of Synonyms for badger
Verb
  • Muller also indicated there were even more crimes — but only teased the details in his letters.
    Lauren Clark, CBS News, 29 Mar. 2026
  • The president has teased an endorsement, but hasn’t announced his preferred candidate.
    Eleanor Dearman, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • There are small plates like firefly squid and braised rabbit.
    Lucia Cheng, Des Moines Register, 31 Mar. 2026
  • The Los Angeles Rabbit Foundation, an arm of the House Rabbit Society, advises that rabbits make poor pets for small children.
    City News Service, Daily News, 30 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • This disparity continues to hound a league where the majority of the players are Black, but the coaches and front office decision makers are not.
    Mac Engel March 30, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 Mar. 2026
  • His instincts, like his techniques, are relentlessly up-to-the-minute; Orsolya is hounded by not only her guilty conscience but also the demons of social media.
    Justin Chang, New Yorker, 27 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • He’s scolded by fox and hawk for being out in the rain, but Bear shares his berries with Marvin, who gets a ride home on the back of Deer.
    Mary Ann Grossmann, Twin Cities, 28 Mar. 2026
  • Another thing that stood out was the fox at the end.
    William Earl, Variety, 28 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • The raccoon was too injured to walk, Ruth said.
    Julian Camejo, Miami Herald, 4 Apr. 2026
  • Although the species classified in this order are basically meat eaters, a substantial number of them, especially among bears and members of the raccoon family, also feed extensively on vegetation and are thus actually omnivorous.
    Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • Wolverines are beagle-sized carnivores related to weasels, ermines, badgers, martens, otters, and black footed ferrets, all of which are native to this state.
    Krista Kafer, Denver Post, 3 Feb. 2026
  • The coastal marten, also known as the Humboldt marten, is about the size of a ferret and lives in coastal forests.
    Kerry Breen, CBS News, 29 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • Park staff are checking camera traps, wading out into the park's swampy wilderness and encouraging visitors to share any otter sightings.
    Sophie Hartley, IndyStar, 11 Feb. 2026
  • The little animals that will come to be emblematic of the 2026 Games are stoats, extremely cute critters that in real life are related to the weasel and the otter.
    Mark Scaglione, NBC news, 3 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • Some people aren't feeling the beaver after Buc-ee’s rolled out a new policy asking customers to pay at the pump.
    Marley Malenfant, Austin American Statesman, 26 Mar. 2026
  • Mabel, in faux-beaver form, rallies the wildlife to fight Mayor Jerry but sows anarchy in doing so.
    David Sims, The Atlantic, 26 Mar. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Badger.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/badger. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.

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