as in annoying
causing annoyance
a riling habit that drives his wife crazy
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in bothering
to disturb the peace of mind of (someone) especially by repeated disagreeable acts
one sure way to rile me is to keep yelling for me
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in angering
to make angry
her husband isn't easily riled, but once he is, he stays that way for days
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of riling
Matthew Couden, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Dec. 2025
Jaxson de Ville is riling up supporters via pub crawl.
—Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 19 Oct. 2025
Officials like Bongino are in the awkward position of backtracking after years of highlighting the case and lobbying for the release of information from the sidelines — riling up their viewers and supporters in the process.
—Emily Brooks, The Hill, 8 July 2025
Verb
Despite losing to Georgia in the conference championship game, DeBoer's Crimson Tide earned one of this year's 12 CFP spots, potentially riling up coaches and fans from other programs who felt their teams got snubbed.
—Matthew Couden, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Dec. 2025
Jaxson de Ville is riling up supporters via pub crawl.
—Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 19 Oct. 2025
Officials like Bongino are in the awkward position of backtracking after years of highlighting the case and lobbying for the release of information from the sidelines — riling up their viewers and supporters in the process.
—Emily Brooks, The Hill, 8 July 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for riling
Adjective
-
So now James is out here knowing that Siegfried was right, which is annoying.—
Alice Burton,
Vulture,
9 Feb. 2026
-
The Kelce/Swifty thing got très annoying but Mahomes was a married guy with a few kids.—
Linda Perillo,
New York Daily News,
8 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
One Florida resident reportedly hired a local mover without bothering to determine if the company was licensed, only to run into a boatload of trouble.—
Lew Sichelman,
Miami Herald,
5 Feb. 2026
-
If your knee is bothering you, for instance, the vibration might distract your brain enough for the pain to temporarily retreat.—
Jennifer Heimlich,
Time,
23 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
But when the new terminal opened, the historic plane did not make the move, angering aviation enthusiasts.—
Andy Sheehan,
CBS News,
9 Feb. 2026
-
What’s more, all that accomplishes is annoying and angering the driver who is being tailgated.—
Ticked Off,
The Orlando Sentinel,
7 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Rubbing alcohol isn’t corrosive to metals, doesn’t stain clothes, and doesn’t cause the same irritating fumes as working with bleach does.—
Andy Wilcox,
Better Homes & Gardens,
3 Feb. 2026
-
The hypoallergenic face serum is free from potentially irritating ingredients, such as parabens and synthetic fragrances, too.—
Lauren Taylor,
Southern Living,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
That thing’s been bugging on him for a while.—
Pete Sweeney,
Kansas City Star,
29 Dec. 2025
-
Then Julian dropped one of his wireless earbuds into Olympia’s purse, using it as a crude bugging device.—
Noel Murray,
Vulture,
12 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Seeing Sparkle cry about Landfair’s experience — something that Landfair hadn’t fully come to terms with — was discombobulating and infuriating.—
Cheyenne Roundtree,
Rolling Stone,
31 Jan. 2026
-
With the $5 million secured by Felix (and a promise that the winnings can still be returned to the Treasury), Bond reenters the tournament and wins the final round, infuriating Le Chiffre.—
Randall Colburn,
Entertainment Weekly,
27 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Francisco Lindor was expected to be the captain of the team, but in a frustrating turn of events for the Puerto Rican team, he was denied the insurance needed to participate.—
Abbey Mastracco,
New York Daily News,
8 Feb. 2026
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First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Rescue Barrier Balm When Associate Editor Katie Akin began dealing with frustrating dry patches this winter, First Aid Beauty's Ultra Repair Rescue Barrier Balm truly came to the rescue.—
Melanie Fincher,
Southern Living,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Troops are occupying our cities and persecuting our people.—
Maria Guinnip,
Oklahoman,
21 Jan. 2026
-
Trump has repeatedly alleged that the South African government is actively persecuting white citizens, particularly farmers.—
Gabe Whisnant,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Riling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/riling. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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