1
as in abusing
to inflict physical or emotional harm upon
the kindergarten teacher explained why it was wrong to bully classmates
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in intimidating
to make timid or fearful by or as if by threats
the manager was fired for bullying employees
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in browbeating
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
as in coercion
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Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of bullying
Sherri Gordon, Parents, 31 July 2024
That's why experts say more anti-bullying intervention is needed – from both parents and schools.
—Jenna Ryu, USA TODAY, 16 Feb. 2023
James Grebey, Time, 12 Sep. 2025
Many schools are making an effort to go phone-free after multiple studies found kids learn better, face less bullying and interact more with other students when they’re not distracted by the devices during class time.
—Phoebe Wiener, NBC news, 12 Sep. 2025
Fred Clasen-Kelly, ABC News, 11 Sep. 2025
The complaint also alleged that school officials failed in their response to the plaintiff’s complaints and that coaches were aware of the threats of bullying during the camp but did not take meaningful action.
—Paulina Dedaj, FOXNews.com, 6 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bullying
Verb
For instance, kids scored lower on standardized tests in schools with a lot of bullying than kids in schools with effective anti-bullying programs.
—Sherri Gordon, Parents, 31 July 2024
That's why experts say more anti-bullying intervention is needed – from both parents and schools.
—Jenna Ryu, USA TODAY, 16 Feb. 2023
Adjective
Brian De Palma's lurid, almost feverish depiction of the bullying and abuse that Carrie White (Sissy Spacek) suffers at school and at home manages to feel empathetic rather than exploitative.
—James Grebey, Time, 12 Sep. 2025
Many schools are making an effort to go phone-free after multiple studies found kids learn better, face less bullying and interact more with other students when they’re not distracted by the devices during class time.
—Phoebe Wiener, NBC news, 12 Sep. 2025
Noun
Wake County schools violated policy when staff did not address the effects of bullying on Danielle, said an April 2024 letter from the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction.
—Fred Clasen-Kelly, ABC News, 11 Sep. 2025
The complaint also alleged that school officials failed in their response to the plaintiff’s complaints and that coaches were aware of the threats of bullying during the camp but did not take meaningful action.
—Paulina Dedaj, FOXNews.com, 6 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bullying
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bullying
Verb
-
Far from abusing its discretion, the district court has exercised care and restraint in managing discovery, affording 'careful consideration' to the government's assertion of privilege.—
James Bickerton,
MSNBC Newsweek,
20 Sep. 2025
-
However, last week, the Civilian Complaint Review Board voted to overrule the investigator who found Alongi and Cianfrocco innocent, finding the pair of officers in violation of using excessive force and abusing their authority.—
Mason Leath,
ABC News,
19 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
We got handed a lot of paperwork that at first was sort of intimidating.—
Aaron Couch,
HollywoodReporter,
19 Sep. 2025
-
Despite their intimidating appearance, Joro spiders are considered shy and are not a significant threat to people or pets.—
Audrey Gibbs,
Nashville Tennessean,
18 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Brutality, coercion, and terror were always elemental parts of the entertainment.—
Vann R. Newkirk II,
The Atlantic,
16 Sep. 2025
-
Negative freedom means freedom from coercion—no one telling you what to do.—
Henrietta Moore,
Fortune,
16 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Instances of swatting have been plaguing the nation for years, with fake shooting threats frightening the public and forcing schools, hospitals, grocery stores, office buildings, and airports into temporary lockdowns.—
Thao Nguyen,
USA Today,
26 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Since then, attorneys and judges have overseen multiple lenient plea deals and case dismissals, while local prosecutors reviewed hundreds of active and resolved cases that Tran investigated.—
Jakob Rodgers,
Mercury News,
6 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Husseini’s successor of sorts, his distant cousin Yasser Arafat, also resorted to murder and intimidation.—
Sean Durns,
The Washington Examiner,
12 Sep. 2025
-
This decision undermines basic constitutional protections and deepens the climate of intimidation against both immigrants and people of color.—
Norma Chavez-Peterson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
12 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
In fact, the ascetic value of fasting from meat required that the person otherwise enjoy it.—
Livia Gershon,
JSTOR Daily,
4 Aug. 2025
-
Greens embodied the ascetic lushness of the farm-to-table movement, which, in Northern California, was synonymous with the Berkeley restaurant Chez Panisse.—
John Birdsall,
New Yorker,
25 July 2025
Noun
-
Republicans argued this, and not pressure from Carr, was the reason behind ABC’s decision to bench Kimmel.—
Ramsey Touchberry,
The Washington Examiner,
19 Sep. 2025
-
With the gap between predictive models and regulatory maps now exposed, pressure is building on municipalities and state agencies to modernize infrastructure and flood mitigation planning.—
Theo Burman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Bullying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bullying. Accessed 22 Sep. 2025.
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