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
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Recent Examples of riling
Emily Brooks, The Hill, 8 July 2025
Verb
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
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Beyond that, people found the Mitfords’ very, very aristocratic accent extremely annoying.—
Mimi Pond,
People.com,
14 Sep. 2025
-
Here's how to erase annoying scratches from hardwood floors.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
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There's other important bathroom etiquette travelers should keep in mind to avoid bothering flight attendants.—
Katie Nadworny,
Travel + Leisure,
16 Sep. 2025
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Lead with Gratitude and Grace Calling out someone for bothering you is always tricky.—
Mary Catherine McAnnally Scott,
Southern Living,
6 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Declaring bankruptcy allowed the church to freeze all of its pending lawsuits, angering victims’ attorneys who repeatedly have accused Bishop Michael Barber of trying to stall.—
Shomik Mukherjee,
Mercury News,
12 Sep. 2025
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Lawyers at Walsh Gallegos coordinated two releases of emails and other documents on behalf of the school board, but CNN reported how gaping holes remained, surprising and angering board members.—
Shimon Prokupecz,
CNN Money,
9 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Nina not being there contributed to one of the most irritating moments in this season so far, with Antonio smugly blowing a kiss into the camera for her and gloating about being in the top after her harsh critique last week.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
29 Aug. 2025
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An irritating habit of his is to stop by and launch into long-winded stories about some mundane event in his present or past life or to pontificate about a current event.—
R. Eric Thomas,
Chicago Tribune,
25 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Stopping The Scammers But alongside legitimate fundraisers there are many scammers with fake appeals, sucking money away from the frontline and infuriating fighters trying to get money for a new truck or drone jammer.—
David Hambling,
Forbes.com,
27 Aug. 2025
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The lack of development from the teams tops prospects has been infuriating.—
Dom Luszczyszyn,
New York Times,
20 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Before last season, his latent talent was obvious, but a frustrating lack of consistency meant the 28-year-old was never — until now — even included in the 30-man shortlist for the award.—
Conor O'Neill,
New York Times,
15 Sep. 2025
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More frustrating still is when the shoe is on the other foot.—
Bruce Tulgan,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The former human-rights lawyer entered on a tourist visa and filed for political asylum in October of that year, claiming the governments that succeeded Correa were persecuting him.—
Syra Ortiz Blanes,
Miami Herald,
12 Sep. 2025
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For 25 years, Chavism has co-opted Venezuela's infrastructure for its own enrichment, persecuting journalists and opposition, wrecking the economy, and leaving its citizens in poverty.—
Kristina Foltz,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Or enraging if your name is Marco Silva.—
Tim Spiers,
New York Times,
17 Aug. 2025
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Dougal brought his brother home, enraging Jacob, who couldn’t believe his sons had abandoned the raid.—
Kimberly Roots,
TVLine,
15 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Riling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/riling. Accessed 19 Sep. 2025.
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