1
as in confusions
the emotional state of being made self-consciously uncomfortable
experienced the great embarrassment of tripping while on stage
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in obstacles
something that makes movement or progress difficult
a big suitcase filled with clothes proved to be more an embarrassment than a convenience on my trip
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 embarrassments
Sitting around a table in the soundstage where the pilot for I Love Lucy was filmed, the six of them tailored the roles to the actors and infused the script with arguments, embarrassments, and confessions from their own relationships.
—
Eliana Dockterman,
Time,
26 June 2026
The order to whitewash America’s historic sites of anything less than rosy about the nation’s past has led to some predictable embarrassments.
—
Literary Hub,
3 June 2026
The professional embarrassments even take place at the level of state supreme courts.
—
Martin Kaste,
NPR,
3 Apr. 2026
That’s not only because judges are fining more lawyers for their laziness, but because the publicity about these embarrassments has been inescapable.
—
Business Columnist,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Mar. 2026
But often those intentions stumble into a political quagmire where democratic dreams turn into civil war, once-compliant dictators become embarrassments and American soldiers return home in body bags.
—
Tim Sullivan,
Fortune,
1 Mar. 2026
While the turnout had indeed been strong, the decision also came across as an attempt to steady the narrative after a series of logistical embarrassments, reframing disruption as demand.
—
The Ai Insider,
Interesting Engineering,
23 Feb. 2026
But anomaly detection may have prevented embarrassments like the one at OPERA.
—
IEEE Spectrum,
3 Feb. 2026
All the teams ran largely reliably and there were no major embarrassments playing out in front of the public and the media.
—
Luke Smith,
New York Times,
31 Jan. 2026
Eliana Dockterman,
Time,
26 June 2026
The order to whitewash America’s historic sites of anything less than rosy about the nation’s past has led to some predictable embarrassments.
—
Literary Hub,
3 June 2026
The professional embarrassments even take place at the level of state supreme courts.
—
Martin Kaste,
NPR,
3 Apr. 2026
That’s not only because judges are fining more lawyers for their laziness, but because the publicity about these embarrassments has been inescapable.
—
Business Columnist,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Mar. 2026
But often those intentions stumble into a political quagmire where democratic dreams turn into civil war, once-compliant dictators become embarrassments and American soldiers return home in body bags.
—
Tim Sullivan,
Fortune,
1 Mar. 2026
While the turnout had indeed been strong, the decision also came across as an attempt to steady the narrative after a series of logistical embarrassments, reframing disruption as demand.
—
The Ai Insider,
Interesting Engineering,
23 Feb. 2026
But anomaly detection may have prevented embarrassments like the one at OPERA.
—
IEEE Spectrum,
3 Feb. 2026
All the teams ran largely reliably and there were no major embarrassments playing out in front of the public and the media.
—
Luke Smith,
New York Times,
31 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for embarrassments
Noun
-
Before the Lost Weekend, John and Yoko had their New York Year — turning their personal confusions into beautifully vivid moments of rage and pain.
Noun
-
Crews can drive directly into rivers or lakes without installing additional equipment, allowing the vehicle to continue moving even when water obstacles stand in the way.
-
Remember, your perspective shapes your reality—choose to see opportunities over obstacles.
Noun
-
Ro said interactive chatbots have technological hurdles to overcome, such as a mismatch between their verbal comments and their facial expressions.
-
Meanwhile, the technological and financial hurdles of fighting the sonic boom appeared insurmountable.
Noun
-
The alternating placements of the piles/objects are very precise, which creates a series of chicanes, indicating they are not intended as obstructions but rather to prevent rapid ingress and egress by any vehicle toward the tunnels.
-
Recent emergencies have included animals falling off a boat, lacerations from dog fights on the beach, clamshell ingestion, sand impaction, which can cause obstructions in the digestive system, and of course Lyme disease.
Cite this Entry
“Embarrassments.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/embarrassments. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
