as in irritating
causing annoyance
learned to ignore those chafing comments that his mother-in-law was constantly making
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in scratching
to make sore by continued rubbing
ill-fitting boots that had badly chafed my heels
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in wearing
to damage or diminish by continued friction
constant stepping on a rope will gradually chafe it, rendering it unsafe for rock climbing
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in annoying
to disturb the peace of mind of (someone) especially by repeated disagreeable acts
nothing chafes us so much as those telemarketers who call during the dinner hour
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for chafing
Adjective
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The key difference is that retinol is known for being harsh and drying, especially for sensitive skin, while bakuchiol is far less irritating.—
Angela Trakoshis,
Allure,
3 Mar. 2025 -
And if the girl keeps using the irritating products, prolonged inflammation is known to cause ongoing inappropriate fibroblast activity.—
Alison Escalante,
Forbes,
27 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Similar to a sheet pan, whole meals can be built in a Dutch oven, scratching that same itch for convenience and less clean up.—
Alana Al-Hatlani,
Southern Living,
23 Dec. 2024
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But that’s just scratching the surface – addressing only the symptoms of the underlying challenges and only addressing them at the end of the SDLC process.—
Jeremy Vaughan,
Forbes,
23 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Frozen snack foods sold under Whole Foods Market’s 365 store brand got recalled nationwide for not being what the packaging says, an annoying mistake to some people but a possibly fatal one to other customers.—
David J. Neal,
Miami Herald,
16 Mar. 2025
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The Achilles — and any accompanying tendonitis — is the most annoying and concerning issue for a skill player who turns 29 in June.—
Troy Renck,
The Denver Post,
15 Mar. 2025
Verb
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The Heat’s decision to suspend Butler marks the latest turning point in an obviously eroding relationship.—
James Jackson,
The Athletic,
3 Jan. 2025
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These measures, intended to reduce systemic financial risks, inadvertently triggered a liquidity crisis, leaving developers unable to complete projects and further eroding consumer confidence.—
Dan Perry,
Newsweek,
3 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Rodin Cars The big idea behind Rodin is to build cars without bothering about vehicle regulations – in stark contrast to F1 cars, which are subject to several rules around how they're put together.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
2 Jan. 2025
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The city and state have also been ramping up efforts to engage troubled vagrants sleeping and sometimes bothering straphangers, connecting them with services and shelter and potentially involuntary treatment.—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
27 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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For Embiid, this is another frustrating chapter in an otherwise brilliant but injury-plagued career.—
Jesse Pines,
Forbes,
11 Mar. 2025
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Joe Biden’s administration in 2023 proposed a reworked version of Obama’s rule, but the Biden administration never finalized the rule, frustrating advocates.—
Nathaniel Meyersohn,
CNN,
11 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Neither mentioned the constitutional spending cap, a measure designed to ensure fiscal responsibility that many economists blame for the fraying state of Germany's infrastructure.—
Fox News,
Fox News,
16 Dec. 2024
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And cheaper polo belts are stitched with shorter pieces of thread which will unravel over time, creating a fraying effect—but the best quality belts are stitched from longer pieces of thread which won’t unravel.—
Todd Plummer,
Robb Report,
6 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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While no human-affecting viruses have been revived yet, the fact that ancient microbes can persist in a viable state raises a disturbing possibility: what else is hidden in the deep freeze, waiting to wake up?—
Scott Travers,
Forbes,
16 Mar. 2025
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The possibility of losing Miami Beach's only art house cinema is disturbing to Tabsch, a filmmaker whose 2018 documentary The Last Resort, was about Miami Beach's Jewish community in the 1970s.—
Mandalit del Barco,
NPR,
15 Mar. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Chafing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/chafing. Accessed 24 Mar. 2025.
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