as in to annoy
to disturb the peace of mind of (someone) especially by repeated disagreeable acts
she irked her friend by chewing her gum loudly during the movie
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in headache
something that is a source of irritation
one of the prof's major irks is a cell phone that rings during a lecture
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of irk
Jack Royston, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Sep. 2025
For his part, over in Coventry, Wright was irked at being substituted after 79 minutes and not getting the chance to grab a hat-trick.
—Greg O'Keeffe, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2025
Zack Meisel, New York Times, 14 Apr. 2025
The violence gets worse from there, and somehow all that is supposed to fit into a show about a Washington socialite whose biggest irk in the premiere is her rivalry with the first lady.
—Washington Post, 22 Apr. 2022
See All Example Sentences for irk
Verb
It's pumiced enough to have no snags, no irks.
—Jack Royston, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Sep. 2025
For his part, over in Coventry, Wright was irked at being substituted after 79 minutes and not getting the chance to grab a hat-trick.
—Greg O'Keeffe, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2025
Noun
New reaction: Whoa, which baseball deity did this guy irk?
—Zack Meisel, New York Times, 14 Apr. 2025
The violence gets worse from there, and somehow all that is supposed to fit into a show about a Washington socialite whose biggest irk in the premiere is her rivalry with the first lady.
—Washington Post, 22 Apr. 2022
See All Example Sentences for irk
Recent Examples of Synonyms for irk
Verb
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Don't push sales and annoy people.—
Nitin Gupta,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
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Comments about my fast walk annoy me.—
Abigail Van Buren,
Boston Herald,
5 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Longer sales cycles and shrinking deal sizes are becoming big headaches for sales leaders.—
Sarah Goodall,
Forbes.com,
17 Sep. 2025
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The world’s most valuable company may now be facing another China headache, just days after Beijing deemed the chipmaker to have violated the country’s antitrust legislation.—
Nicholas Gordon,
Fortune,
17 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Generally, mineral sunscreens are beloved by dermatologists for not irritating sensitive skin, the way chemical sunscreens can.—
Megan McIntyre,
Allure,
16 Sep. 2025
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Too many or poorly timed nudges irritate users.—
Prithvi Singh Shergill,
Forbes.com,
16 Sep. 2025
Noun
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According to the California Penal Code, a nuisance can be charged as a misdemeanor.—
Sacbee.com,
Sacbee.com,
14 Sep. 2025
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The recent interference with the European Commission President’s aircraft showed how quickly GPS denial can shift from nuisance to geopolitical signal.—
Kapil Kajal,
Interesting Engineering,
11 Sep. 2025
Verb
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This takes two seconds, and she doesn’t get bothered at all.—
Chaunie Brusie,
Parents,
18 Sep. 2025
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Polarity numbs himself with alcohol and can’t be bothered with God U’s suspicious new Dean, aptly named Cipher (Hamish Linklater).—
Olivia Singh,
Forbes.com,
17 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Kane has been a constant thorn in the Gunners’ side for years, scoring 15 times in 21 meetings against them and scored at the Emirates for Bayern in a 2-2 draw in the first leg of the quarter-finals two years ago.—
Dan Cancian,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
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An assertive Iran has been especially a thorn in the side of Saudi Arabia, which strives to be the dominant Muslim majority power in the region.—
David Mednicoff,
The Conversation,
9 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Power gains are bugged to be too low for a new power grind that no one wants to do anyway.—
Paul Tassi,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
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On average, the matador bugs increased their waving behavior seven times more in the presence of the predatory mantids.—
Laura Baisas,
Popular Science,
11 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Cruz’s rebuttal didn’t touch on Carlson’s claims of frustration with Netanyahu, which former congressman Matt Gaetz said are largely true based on his relationship with Kirk.—
Robert Schmad,
The Washington Examiner,
18 Sep. 2025
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However, there is already frustration with him as the starter and fans have been asking about when a change could occur.—
Evan Massey,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Irk.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/irk. Accessed 21 Sep. 2025.
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