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
Relevance
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
Jon Vankin, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 June 2025
That has irked a number of Republicans, including Trump, who believe there should be a unified slate of auto standards set by the federal government.
—Tony Briscoe, Los Angeles Times, 12 June 2025
Washington Post, 22 Apr. 2022
The Moderna, Pfizer, and Johnson & Johnson varieties seem to sit somewhere in the middle of the spectrum of immunological irk.
—Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 1 Dec. 2021
See All Example Sentences for irk
Verb
Yet Red Sox Trade Idea Would Ship $123M All-Star to Mets After Rafael Devers Trade
Other aspects of Devers' behavior irked the Red Sox as well.
—Jon Vankin, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 June 2025
That has irked a number of Republicans, including Trump, who believe there should be a unified slate of auto standards set by the federal government.
—Tony Briscoe, Los Angeles Times, 12 June 2025
Noun
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
The Moderna, Pfizer, and Johnson & Johnson varieties seem to sit somewhere in the middle of the spectrum of immunological irk.
—Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 1 Dec. 2021
See All Example Sentences for irk
Recent Examples of Synonyms for irk
Verb
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That acquisition annoyed shareholders and customers alike, with investors taking issue with the fact that it was structured to avoid a vote.—
Glenn Taylor,
Sourcing Journal,
25 July 2025
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However, in addition to the controversy over self-grading the results, OpenAI also annoyed the IMO community because its Saturday announcement appears to have violated the embargo agreement with the International Mathematical Olympiad.—
Benj Edwards,
ArsTechnica,
21 July 2025
Noun
-
In the early stages, people may experience fatigue, fever, headaches, muscle aches, and a distinctive bull’s-eye rash.—
Tiffany Acosta,
AZCentral.com,
3 Aug. 2025
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Economic Worries Add To Pressure Economic concerns are also causing a headache for the Trump administration, with multiple recent polls showing a downward trend in the president's approval rating on his handling of the economy and inflation.—
Martha McHardy,
MSNBC Newsweek,
2 Aug. 2025
Verb
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It was heard, and irritating, in all places at all times.—
Jody Mamone,
Hartford Courant,
25 July 2025
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For Wiles and other top aides, winning in the midterms is crucial — more crucial than publicly flaming a lawmaker who has a history of irritating Trump.—
Burgess Everett,
semafor.com,
23 July 2025
Noun
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Last month, Los Angeles city officials declared these properties a public nuisance because of their failure to take action to clean up debris.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
10 July 2025
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The cicadas swarming in and around Cincinnati can be a nuisance.—
Chad Murphy,
The Enquirer,
2 July 2025
Verb
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But one aspect of his robberies bothers him to this day.—
Faith Karimi,
CNN Money,
26 July 2025
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This means that some people might not bother using them.—
Ben Coxworth
July 26,
New Atlas,
26 July 2025
Noun
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Presidents of both parties complained about judges blocking policies nationwide Nationwide injunctions have been a thorn in the side of presidential administrations of both parties.—
Bart Jansen,
USA Today,
22 July 2025
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Those critics may or may not prove to be a thorn in O’Brien’s side.—
Steven Zeitchik,
HollywoodReporter,
10 July 2025
Verb
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That question also bugs the folks at The Utility Reform Network.—
Teri Sforza,
Oc Register,
31 July 2025
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Advertisement Advertisement Code of Silence (BritBox) In this UK drama, police tracking a criminal organization that meets in locations that can’t be bugged recruit a deaf canteen employee, Alison Brooks (Rose Ayling-Ellis), to read suspects’ lips in surveillance videos.—
Judy Berman,
Time,
30 July 2025
Noun
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On July 29, Trump cut the window to 10 days, citing frustration with Russia's continued drone and missile strikes on Ukrainian cities.—
David Brennan,
ABC News,
3 Aug. 2025
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Analysts expressed frustration with CEO Andy Jassy’s explanations for AWS’s relatively slow growth during the conference call.—
Peter Cohan,
Forbes.com,
3 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Irk.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/irk. Accessed 6 Aug. 2025.
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