hit/strike/touch a nerve

idiom

: to make someone feel angry, upset, embarrassed, etc.
Something she said to him must have hit/struck/touched a nerve. I've never seen him so angry.
His controversial column might have hit a (raw/sensitive) nerve with some readers.

Examples of hit/strike/touch a nerve in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Tapestry became a whole new kind of pop blockbuster, a confessional statement that hit a nerve with fans, staying on the charts year after year. Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 10 July 2024 But his act of dissent hit a nerve among his countrymen. Han Zhang, The New Yorker, 11 June 2024 But maybe that speaks to the fact that he’s hit a nerve, with pictures that evoke the comical, nonsensical, random cruelty of modern life. Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 17 May 2024 His disgust with fictionality hit a nerve among American writers. John Ganz, Harper's Magazine, 14 Mar. 2010 See all Example Sentences for hit/strike/touch a nerve 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'hit/strike/touch a nerve.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Dictionary Entries Near hit/strike/touch a nerve

Cite this Entry

“Hit/strike/touch a nerve.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hit%2Fstrike%2Ftouch%20a%20nerve. Accessed 4 Nov. 2024.

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