badger 1 of 2

badger

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noun

Synonym Chooser

How is the word badger distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of badger are bait, chivy, heckle, hector, and hound. While all these words mean "to harass by efforts to break down," badger implies pestering so as to drive a person to confusion or frenzy.

badgered her father for a car

When could bait be used to replace badger?

The words bait and badger are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, bait implies wanton cruelty or delight in persecuting a helpless victim.

baited the chained dog

When might chivy be a better fit than badger?

The words chivy and badger can be used in similar contexts, but chivy suggests persecution by teasing or nagging.

chivied the new student mercilessly

When is it sensible to use heckle instead of badger?

The synonyms heckle and badger are sometimes interchangeable, but heckle implies persistent annoying or belligerent interruptions of a speaker.

drunks heckled the stand-up comic

In what contexts can hector take the place of badger?

Although the words hector and badger have much in common, hector carries an implication of bullying and domineering.

football players hectored by their coach

When would hound be a good substitute for badger?

The meanings of hound and badger largely overlap; however, hound implies unrelenting pursuit and harassing.

hounded by creditors

Examples Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of badger
Verb
Funding shortfalls have badgered Simmons College since its inception in 1879, Cosby said, so college officials were facing a familiar problem. Killian Baarlaer, The Courier-Journal, 8 Oct. 2024 Haider badgered Abbas to send funds, according to the WhatsApp records. Renee Maltezou, Cassell Bryan-Low, Yannis Souliotis and Phil Stewart, USA TODAY, 6 Oct. 2024
Noun
Species of rodents, bears, badgers, kangaroos and deer, among others, can make use of this process naturally, while scientists have triggered it in experiments in many others. Michael Irving, New Atlas, 3 Oct. 2024 Yellowstone is crawling with apex predators, and everyone at the campsite likely assumed that Rayne Beau became a tasty snack for a grizzly or a badger. Frederick Dreier, Outside Online, 1 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for badger 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for badger
Verb
  • The maker’s first prototype, dubbed the Him-E, was teased in 2023.
    New Atlas, New Atlas, 4 Nov. 2024
  • The news was teased at the end of the Chapter 2 Remix trailer, which also featured appearances from Snoop Dogg, Eminem, and Ice Spice. 999, a number that was significant to Juice WRLD, shows up on an empty chair.
    Jennifer Zhan, Vulture, 2 Nov. 2024
Noun
  • The smallest rabbit, the pygmy, weighs only a pound — while the Flemish giant rabbit can reach 4 feet long and 22 pounds.
    Allison Futterman, Discover Magazine, 6 Nov. 2024
  • The preschool's post added that the children would be informed of the rabbits' death but would be spared any details.
    Jose R. Gonzalez, The Arizona Republic, 3 Nov. 2024
Verb
  • His beloved wife Penelope (Binoche) is a prisoner in her own home, hounded by suitors vying to be king.
    Zac Ntim, Deadline, 1 Nov. 2024
  • During this time, Law was hounded by the press and made into an object of prurient fascination and lust.
    Ramin Setoodeh, Variety, 30 Oct. 2024
Noun
  • The most placid foxes were selected to breed the next generation.
    Lee Alan Dugatkin, Scientific American, 24 Oct. 2024
  • The county also confirmed the disease in eight skunks, two raccoons, two foxes and a dog, who also bit a person.
    Brooke Park, San Antonio Express-News, 20 Oct. 2024
Noun
  • The state Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) seized Peanut and a raccoon named Fred from owner Mark Longo's home and animal sanctuary in rural Pine City, near the Pennsylvania border, earlier this week.
    Michael Dorgan, Fox News, 2 Nov. 2024
  • In an Instagram post on Saturday, a letter was written to Peanut and Fred, the raccoon that was also euthanized.
    Ahjané Forbes, USA TODAY, 2 Nov. 2024
Noun
  • With their larger competitors out of the way, the smaller, less numerous martens had some breathing room.
    Siddhant Pusdekar, Journal Sentinel, 5 July 2024
  • For the last eight years, Pauli has been studying American martens on the island.
    Siddhant Pusdekar, Journal Sentinel, 5 July 2024
Noun
  • Over time, Jewell applied her footprint measurement technique to other species, from cheetahs to otters to mice.
    Ben Goldfarb, Smithsonian Magazine, 23 Oct. 2024
  • The shoreline gleamed with the glacier’s blue ice while the sea hummed with life, from the eagles flying overhead to the otters cruising with us.
    Michael Goldstein, Forbes, 11 Oct. 2024
Noun
  • The list included two cases of brandy, a box of tobacco, three beaver hats (two white, one black), and two silver watches.
    Sam Knight, The New Yorker, 4 Nov. 2024
  • It’s named for the time of year when beavers begin to shelter, according to The Farmer’s Almanac.
    Stephanie Vermillion, Travel + Leisure, 1 Nov. 2024

Thesaurus Entries Near badger

Cite this Entry

“Badger.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/badger. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.

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