chafes 1 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of chafe
1
as in irritates
to make sore by continued rubbing ill-fitting boots that had badly chafed my heels

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2
as in wears
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 annoys
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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

chafes

2 of 2

noun

plural of chafe
1
as in angers

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Dissimilar Words
2
as in scratches

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Dissimilar Words

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 chafes
Verb
The nurturing Moon travels through your 6th House of Work and conjoins edgy Chiron there, highlighting a small habit that chafes, then pointing you toward relief. — Tarot.com, The Orlando Sentinel, 5 Aug. 2026 But Morton chafes against such stark and incriminating simplicity. — Angelica Jade Bastién, Vulture, 27 July 2026 The debut novel from this English professor and pioneering feminist follows Mira, a suburban homemaker who chafes against patriarchal society, divorces her husband, enrolls in graduate school, and becomes an outspoken advocate for women’s rights. — Michael Schaub, Oc Register, 25 June 2026 This new life chafes my husband more than me. — Zinzi Clemmons, Los Angeles Times, 8 June 2026 What feels like sci-fi resolves into a Realist worker portrait as a technological fantasy of efficiency chafes against the fleshy, earthly physical world. — Emily Watlington, ARTnews.com, 24 May 2026 The lively, spirited daughter of an Afghani immigrant family chafes against the traditional values of her family and immigrant community. — The Know, Denver Post, 19 Apr. 2026 As John's disciplinary hearing draws ever closer, the protagonist increasingly chafes at his attempts to smooth over the situation. — Megan McCluskey, Time, 5 Mar. 2026 Throughout, emotion churns and chafes against a backdrop of political unrest, corporate malfeasance, and the everyday horrors that erode modern life. — Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 13 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for chafes
  1. irritates
  2. wears
  3. annoys
  4. outrages
  5. scratches
  6. erodes
  7. bothers
  8. abrasions
Verb
  • The capsaicin in hot peppers irritates pests and deters them from feeding on plants.
    — Farima Ferguson, The Spruce, 15 July 2026
  • Anyone who has sat through a mandatory team-building exercise knows the difference between a ritual that binds and a program that irritates.
    — Julia Dhar, Time, 11 July 2026
Definition of irritates
Verb
  • The juror sitting closest to the Shakur family wears a dark suit and tie to court every day.
    — Andy Rose, CNN Money, 22 Aug. 2026
  • Three weeks of racing before Tadej Pogačar wears the red jersey on the final podium in Granada.
    — Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of wears
Verb
  • Hotel-booking platform HotelTonight surveyed 447 of its American adult users in June about what annoys them the most during travel.
    — Kathleen Wong, USA Today, 21 July 2026
  • But Turner is a symbol for everything that annoys people about the Phillies.
    — Matt Gelb, New York Times, 19 July 2026
Definition of annoys
Noun
  • Look, of the outrages, these are like the least among them, as far as being upset with the administration, with the president.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 14 June 2026
  • More recently, Tandy Hills experienced issues with ATVs being driven through the park and damaging wildflowers, sparking outrages on social media from people who demanded the city take action.
    — Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 25 Mar. 2026
Definition of outrages
Noun
  • In the arrest affidavit, Ted Barnett told investigators that the scratches on his body were from an Ultimate Frisbee tournament that happened the previous weekend.
    — Jennifer McRae, CBS News, 20 Aug. 2026
  • According to Matthews, dust can be abrasive, and wood can be very sensitive to scratches.
    — Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of scratches
Verb
  • However, 10 minutes of heart is hardly enough to save a 97-minute movie, as any hope for a satisfying experience erodes in the 87 minutes that precede it.
    — Tim Lammers, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Almost 30 years of pursuit not only erodes the bonds within the local community but mirror the fate of a whole nation, leaving everyone to reflect on their own personal responsibility.
    — Leo Barraclough, Variety, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of erodes
Verb
  • Repel Mice Ultrasonic mouse repellers emit high-frequency sound waves that humans can’t hear, but the high pitch bothers mice.
    — Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 17 Aug. 2026
  • My concern is what happens when the signal becomes so established that nobody bothers separating it from the qualities it was supposed to represent.
    — Jim Osman, Forbes.com, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of bothers
Noun
  • The number one safety tip is to not add boiling water to the foot bath, resulting in burns or abrasions to the feet.
    — BestReviews, Chicago Tribune, 17 Aug. 2026
  • The man had minor abrasions and was taken to an area hospital for evaluation and treatment.
    — Kristi Miller, Twin Cities, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of abrasions

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chafed
chafes
chaff
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Cite this Entry

“Chafes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/chafes. Accessed 26 Aug. 2026.

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