as in annoyed
to disturb the peace of mind of (someone) especially by repeated disagreeable acts
the stream of minor complaints finally ruffled him into snapping, "If you don't like the way I'm doing it, do it yourself!"
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Recent Examples of ruffled
Hamilton had a problem with authority, Perez said, and ruffled feathers with the town’s police chief and school board.
—
Sam Tabachnik, Denver Post, 8 Apr. 2026
The actress shut down the red carpet in a white Dior gown with a strapless neckline, ruched midsection, and black-and-white tulle ruffled detailing along a hip-high leg slit.
—Christina Perrier, InStyle, 15 Mar. 2026
Franklin also ruffled a few feathers within the organization in recent years with his frequent podcast appearances that often included trash talk directed at other teams and players.
—Dianna Russini, New York Times, 7 Mar. 2026
The stunt ruffled more than a few feathers, with surveillance photos of the incident showing Fairbarn allegedly entering the habitat and roughly grabbing the bird by its legs.
—Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, FOXNews.com, 6 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ruffled
Sam Tabachnik, Denver Post, 8 Apr. 2026
The actress shut down the red carpet in a white Dior gown with a strapless neckline, ruched midsection, and black-and-white tulle ruffled detailing along a hip-high leg slit.
—Christina Perrier, InStyle, 15 Mar. 2026
Franklin also ruffled a few feathers within the organization in recent years with his frequent podcast appearances that often included trash talk directed at other teams and players.
—Dianna Russini, New York Times, 7 Mar. 2026
The stunt ruffled more than a few feathers, with surveillance photos of the incident showing Fairbarn allegedly entering the habitat and roughly grabbing the bird by its legs.
—Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, FOXNews.com, 6 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ruffled
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ruffled
Verb
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To Henry, this would have been for the greater good of English football, but the reaction was again one of anger and Henry was annoyed that the idea was killed off.—
Simon Hughes,
New York Times,
1 May 2026
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As a matter of fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if the president doesn’t get annoyed with him once or twice.—
NBC news,
NBC news,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Some highbrow writers had a right to be irritated by the concept of chick lit, though that wasn’t the fault of chick lit authors themselves.—
Hillary Busis,
Vanity Fair,
4 May 2026
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His last-minute, mixmaster approach to closing out the transit negotiations irritated several participants, but the end result was a fiscally responsible and transformative restructuring of mass transit in northern Illinois.—
David Greising,
Chicago Tribune,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The Vedder Cup is a tongue-in-cheek attempt to pair the Padres and Mariners as rivals despite the two teams not having much reason to get all hot and bothered about a series.—
Jeff Sanders,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
18 May 2026
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He has since been elected to the state Senate twice, in one of Iowa’s bluest areas; both times, no Republican bothered to run.—
Amy Davidson Sorkin,
New Yorker,
17 May 2026
Verb
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Upon arriving at big-league camp this spring, Rojas said the different grip initially bugged him.—
Dan Hayes,
New York Times,
23 Apr. 2026
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Three people told the Washington Examiner that Scott had become paranoid that Lewandowski was spying on him through his work phone and had bugged his office.—
Anna Giaritelli,
The Washington Examiner,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
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My parents were supporters of the anti-apartheid movement and various family members were persecuted for being so also.—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
14 May 2026
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When hunted, poisoned, and persecuted, the coyotes scattered and regrouped, their numbers surging a hundred-fold.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
12 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ruffled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ruffled. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
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