as in harassment
the act of making unwelcome intrusions upon another
this perpetual bugging while I'm working is driving me nuts!
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
1
as in bothering
to disturb the peace of mind of (someone) especially by repeated disagreeable acts
these incessant phone calls are really starting to bug me
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in worrying
to thrust oneself upon (another) without invitation
I hate to bug you, but could you help me move this table?
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of bugging
Lisa Gutierrez, Kansas City Star, 21 Mar. 2026
But so much of my journalism has been about something that’s bugging me.
—Jack Denton, Vulture, 18 Mar. 2026
And also, Bill has to be home and also not bugging me.
—Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 3 Mar. 2026
Clara could hear Dune’s sister, Fern, in the background bugging Dune to resume their chess game.
—Literary Hub, 2 Mar. 2026
Co-worker bugging you during heads down time?
—Sam Woodward, USA Today, 10 Oct. 2025
Verb
So, all the things people were yelling about with Southwest weren’t bugging me.
—Lisa Gutierrez, Kansas City Star, 21 Mar. 2026
But so much of my journalism has been about something that’s bugging me.
—Jack Denton, Vulture, 18 Mar. 2026
And also, Bill has to be home and also not bugging me.
—Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 3 Mar. 2026
Clara could hear Dune’s sister, Fern, in the background bugging Dune to resume their chess game.
—Literary Hub, 2 Mar. 2026
Co-worker bugging you during heads down time?
—Sam Woodward, USA Today, 10 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bugging
Noun
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According to Sethi, a 2024 survey showed that 7 out of 10 New Yorkers have experienced some form of street harassment.—
Allen Devlin,
CBS News,
31 Mar. 2026
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Aside from the monetary penalty, the settlement requires Justin and Wonderful to halt any harassment or retaliation, undergo compliance audits and take other measures at the vineyard operations.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Why are two players whose college careers, at the moment, are over bothering to put their names out there for other programs to see?—
Shaun Goodwin,
Idaho Statesman,
31 Mar. 2026
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Throughout the day, jot down any worries that are bothering you, particularly the ones that keep popping up.—
Andee Tagle,
NPR,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
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That's where Somali businesses struggled due to customers worrying that ICE might arrest them while shopping.—
Jeff Wagner,
CBS News,
3 Apr. 2026
-
Colleagues had been worrying about Metayer Bowen all day long.—
Milena Malaver,
Miami Herald,
3 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Garcia said detectives have learned that Serrano was not connected to the initial domestic disturbance call that brought officers to the neighborhood.—
Shambhavi Rimal,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
30 Mar. 2026
-
Several fungal species are most often carried by dust and other soil disturbances, posing health risks when inhaled.—
Brandi D. Addison,
USA Today,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Sometimes, rage bait can be relatively harmless – a recipe that contains disgusting food combinations or someone annoying their pet, partner or sibling.—
Issy Ronald,
CNN Money,
1 Dec. 2025
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But what’s been annoying me even more is that these women should have been trained by producers to start recording on their own cell phones if drama starts to unfold after cameras go down.—
Tom Smyth,
Vulture,
12 Nov. 2025
Verb
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That said, while the price point is hard to beat, BHAs are higher in molecular weight, which can be irritating for those with especially sensitive skin.—
Conçetta Ciarlo,
Vogue,
29 Mar. 2026
-
The choice to portray her as irritating, self-absorbed, whiny and inappropriate was no accident.—
Leigh Blickley,
Entertainment Weekly,
16 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
But so often left unsaid by Gu are the moral ambiguities that come with choosing to represent a country that has been heavily criticized by Human Rights Watch, among other watchdog groups, for denying rights of freedom of expression and for persecuting government critics.—
Zak Keefer,
New York Times,
17 Feb. 2026
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The term refers to biblical passages in which Jesus described Jews in specific communities who were persecuting the early Christians.—
Jennifer Berry Hawes,
ProPublica,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The novel used all these tensions to propel a study of greed, avarice, and racial divisions between the haves and have nots, leading to McCoy getting his comeuppance.—
Mike Fleming Jr,
Deadline,
2 Apr. 2026
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Without getting into spoilers, much of the tension rests on whether certain protagonists get caught.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
2 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bugging.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bugging. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
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