as in pains
a state of great suffering of body or mind
a tale of misery and woe
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Recent Examples of woes
China’s leadership has appeared even more paralyzed over the country’s mounting economic woes.
—
Michael Schuman, The Atlantic, 1 Apr. 2026
Among its financial woes, West Suburban owes the state more than $50 million in unpaid taxes, according to the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services.
—Lisa Schencker, Chicago Tribune, 1 Apr. 2026
This could bring starts for the likes of Kobbie Mainoo, Nico O’Reilly, Phil Foden or Cole Palmer, the latter of whom has endured repeat injury woes at Chelsea this season.
—Ben Verbrugge, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2026
On Thursday, a lack of air traffic controllers (not related to funding woes) led to nearly 200 delays.
—Phillip Molnar, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 Mar. 2026
Shades of 2025’s road woes lingered against veteran right-hander Sandy Alcantara.
—Patrick Saunders, Denver Post, 28 Mar. 2026
The technology-heavy Nasdaq Composite notched its worst day since October and slid into correction territory, dragged down by Meta’s 8% loss on the back of its legal woes.
—Alex Harring, CNBC, 27 Mar. 2026
The closure will add delays to the woes facing travelers while the shutdown continues more than five weeks since a funding impasse along partisan lines began.
—Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 24 Mar. 2026
That combination of high rates, elevated prices and other economic woes has made the idea of getting out of debt feel more urgent than ever.
—Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 24 Mar. 2026
Michael Schuman, The Atlantic, 1 Apr. 2026
Among its financial woes, West Suburban owes the state more than $50 million in unpaid taxes, according to the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services.
—Lisa Schencker, Chicago Tribune, 1 Apr. 2026
This could bring starts for the likes of Kobbie Mainoo, Nico O’Reilly, Phil Foden or Cole Palmer, the latter of whom has endured repeat injury woes at Chelsea this season.
—Ben Verbrugge, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2026
On Thursday, a lack of air traffic controllers (not related to funding woes) led to nearly 200 delays.
—Phillip Molnar, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 Mar. 2026
Shades of 2025’s road woes lingered against veteran right-hander Sandy Alcantara.
—Patrick Saunders, Denver Post, 28 Mar. 2026
The technology-heavy Nasdaq Composite notched its worst day since October and slid into correction territory, dragged down by Meta’s 8% loss on the back of its legal woes.
—Alex Harring, CNBC, 27 Mar. 2026
The closure will add delays to the woes facing travelers while the shutdown continues more than five weeks since a funding impasse along partisan lines began.
—Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 24 Mar. 2026
That combination of high rates, elevated prices and other economic woes has made the idea of getting out of debt feel more urgent than ever.
—Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 24 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for woes
Noun
-
Bondi's public embrace of the president, however, marked a sharp departure from her predecessors, who generally took pains to maintain an arm's-length distance from the White House to protect the impartiality of investigations and prosecutions.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
3 Apr. 2026
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Whether biennials or museum shows, exhibitions are spaces for learning about images, the world, and the pains and delights of being alive.—
Raphael Fonseca,
Artforum,
2 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
And yet, in the scene on the Hill of Love, Lapid offers no self-questioning, no sense of cinematic exertion or trouble, in the fictional framing of the real agonies of Gaza.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
27 Mar. 2026
-
The celebrated poet and memoirist, delves into the agonies of her decision and describes the emerging women’s liberation movement, of which Moore would soon become a participant.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
20 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Inarguably one of the best teams in the country annually, the Boilermakers had a string of March miseries.—
Dana O’Neil,
CNN Money,
18 Mar. 2026
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And allergy miseries don’t end after the spring.—
Tom Gavin,
EverydayHealth.com,
11 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Woes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/woes. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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