BORES Synonyms: 129 Similar and Opposite Words

bores 1 of 3

noun

plural of bore

as in yawns

someone or something boring for once, the graduation speaker wasn't a real bore

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

bores

2 of 3

verb (1)

present tense third-person singular of bore

as in drills

to make a hole or series of holes in some woodpecker bored holes in our tree in the backyard

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in pushes

to force one's way with some effort, she bored through the throng of yelling protestors

Synonyms & Similar Words

bores

3 of 3

verb (2)

present tense third-person singular of bore

as in wearies

to make weary and restless by being dull or monotonous the professor's lifeless and unimaginative teaching style bored the students to death

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example 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 bores

Noun

Some resorts in the Mamanuca Islands are set to lose entire wings to the sea in the coming years, and drinking water in villages is already being infiltrated by salt from seawater seeping into ground bores. — Michelle Duff, HollywoodReporter, 27 Apr. 2026 Her books were their progeny, Stein acknowledged, and without Alice’s mothering—and typing, proofreading, cooking, sewing, shopping, bookkeeping, and warding off bores—they might not have been born. — Judith Thurman, New Yorker, 29 Sep. 2025 Anyone who thinks English Heritage sites are run by bores is in for a surprise. — Jordan Hoffman, Entertainment Weekly, 12 Sep. 2025 The researchers plan to expand their study to a larger number of boreholes, including water bores, to understand the full scope of the issue better nd find more opportunities to reduce emissions. — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 4 Sep. 2025 The times for the day’s bores are listed outside the visitor center, but on this mid-September day, birds began flocking around the banks of the Salmon River, announcing the bore’s arrival. — Melanie Stetson Freeman, Christian Science Monitor, 28 Feb. 2025

Verb

As its name suggests, the beetle bores into trees, drilling tunnels to create breeding galleries. — Jack Bantock, CNN Money, 13 Aug. 2026 The caterpillar bores into the stem through a tiny hole and tunnels inside the plant destroying tissue. — Mary Marlowe Leverette, The Spruce, 17 June 2026 For instance, if a textbook bores you, try watching a documentary! — Tarot.com, New York Daily News, 6 Mar. 2026 The invasive beetle bores into wood and kills ash trees by eating tissues under the bark. — Caitlin Looby, jsonline.com, 23 Jan. 2026 But the patient, grinding work of peace implementation typically bores him. — Bobby Ghosh, Time, 14 Oct. 2025 In the film, one glowing maggot scores an oversized moth, wraps it up, then bores through its eye before eating its living brain. — Ann Patchett, New Yorker, 29 Sep. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for bores

Noun

On a recent summer day at Crossroads School for Arts & Sciences, students ambled through yawns, braces and acne into their creative writing class.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 1 July 2026
With that indelible Southern gift for pulling new lingo from thin air, the duo deploy yawns that stretch like bungee over Zaytoven-type keys.

— Olivier Lafontant, Pitchfork, 13 Feb. 2026

Definition of yawns

Verb

Berrios is sidelined right now by a soft tissue injury but was running pretty well on the side of team drills Monday.

— Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 24 Aug. 2026
Other notes from Panthers-Jaguars practice First-round pick rookie offensive tackle Monroe Freeling held his own in one-on-one drills as well as team drills in practice on Wednesday.

— Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of drills

Verb

Incoming low pressure from the west pushes away heat and allows better moisture to enter the state, raising rain chances as soon as Friday evening and increasing through the weekend.

— Tevian Whitehurst, AZCentral.com, 28 Aug. 2026
Most of life is complex and multifaceted, and reading is one of the only habits that pushes back against the instinct to see things in black and white.

— Mckenna Friedland, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of pushes

Verb

More than 90% agreed or strongly agreed that scent work is enjoyable for dogs, tires them out and builds confidence in shy dogs.

— Ryan Brennan, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 7 July 2026
Kenner said Thuja will only truly rest after a long session of training or searching, which tires out not only her body but also her brain.

— Liz Teitz, San Antonio Express-News, 19 Mar. 2026

Definition of tires

Noun

Set casseroles, cakes, pies, meat, and other full dishes that have the potential to overflow on a sheet pan so any drips will be contained rather than spilling onto the racks and the oven floor.

— Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 21 Aug. 2026
Be sure to wash your feeder twice a week, both inside and out, and check for drips or leaks.

— Joan Morris, Mercury News, 17 Aug. 2026

Definition of drips

Verb

If internal fluid pressure drops during aggressive extraction, the surrounding earth squeezes the cavern inward, permanently shrinking total storage capacity and crushing steel well casings.

— Siddharth Misra, Fortune, 25 Aug. 2026
As engine speed rises, centrifugal force squeezes the drive clutch closed and pushes the belt farther outward.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 17 Aug. 2026

Definition of squeezes

Verb

Once the cycle is complete, the dirty water drains away and you’re left with clean, wet clothing.

— Mary Catherine McAnnally Scott, Southern Living, 21 Aug. 2026
Defensiveness extends conversations, weakens credibility and drains emotional energy that could have been directed toward solving problems.

— Rodger Dean Duncan, Forbes.com, 13 Aug. 2026

Definition of drains

Browse Nearby Words

bore out

bores

bore up

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Style

“Bores.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bores. Accessed 29 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of bores

noun

verb (1)

verb (2)

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