1
as in to annoy
to disturb the peace of mind of (someone) especially by repeated disagreeable acts
one sure way to rile me is to keep yelling for me
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to infuriate
to make angry
her husband isn't easily riled, but once he is, he stays that way for days
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of rile
Trump’s allusions to police brutality – the very thing demonstrators were protesting – only seemed to rile them and underscore what was at stake.
—
Chelsea Bailey, CNN Money, 24 May 2025
Columbus saw hundreds of complaints filed to its reporting system, and the response in St. Louis had residents so riled that snow removal became a hot topic on the mayor's campaign trail.
—Ryan Murphy, IndyStar, 2 July 2025
Now, President Trump’s drive for mass deportations of migrants is riling the streets of Los Angeles, college campuses, even churches — and fueling a global rethinking about the virtues and promise of coming to America.
—Laurie Kellman, Los Angeles Times, 17 June 2025
In this case, the AI Overview error could rile up Airbus, which probably doesn't want to be mentioned at all in this context.
—ArsTechnica, 12 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for rile
Chelsea Bailey, CNN Money, 24 May 2025
Columbus saw hundreds of complaints filed to its reporting system, and the response in St. Louis had residents so riled that snow removal became a hot topic on the mayor's campaign trail.
—Ryan Murphy, IndyStar, 2 July 2025
Now, President Trump’s drive for mass deportations of migrants is riling the streets of Los Angeles, college campuses, even churches — and fueling a global rethinking about the virtues and promise of coming to America.
—Laurie Kellman, Los Angeles Times, 17 June 2025
In this case, the AI Overview error could rile up Airbus, which probably doesn't want to be mentioned at all in this context.
—ArsTechnica, 12 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for rile
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rile
Verb
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That acquisition annoyed shareholders and customers alike, with investors taking issue with the fact that it was structured to avoid a vote.—
Glenn Taylor,
Sourcing Journal,
25 July 2025
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Meanwhile, be patient with daily contacts, especially siblings and relatives who might annoy you.—
Georgia Nicols,
Denver Post,
21 July 2025
Verb
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The memo infuriated Kelly and other high-profile members of Trump's coalition, who for years have peddled conspiracy theories claiming Epstein was murdered and that the government covered up an extensive list of wealthy politicians and businesspeople who were involved with Epstein.—
Sonam Sheth,
MSNBC Newsweek,
15 July 2025
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The increases are infuriating residents, and sending lawmakers scrambling for solutions.—
Scott Cohn,
CNBC,
11 July 2025
Verb
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Things escalated further as fans began requesting photos and videos, reportedly irritating the R&B star.—
Preezy Brown,
VIBE.com,
14 July 2025
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According to Valliere, people and pets should avoid coming in contact with several invasive plants in California, including: Certain grasses, which produce long awns and seeds that can irritate skin, get stuck in pets’ fur, and cause discomfort for both animals and humans.—
Sacbee.com,
Sacbee.com,
14 July 2025
Verb
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The group invited those angered by rollbacks on things such as voting rights, essential services and free speech to join them July 17, the fifth anniversary of Lewis’ death.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
17 July 2025
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The story, though, didn't die down and Trump only appeared to grow more angered by the pushback from his supporters.—
Alexandra Hutzler,
ABC News,
16 July 2025
Verb
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This means that some people might not bother using them.—
Ben Coxworth
July 26,
New Atlas,
26 July 2025
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But one aspect of his robberies bothers him to this day.—
Faith Karimi,
CNN Money,
26 July 2025
Verb
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This conclusion satisfies some of the victims’ families while enraging others.—
Erin Jensen,
USA Today,
12 July 2025
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Meanwhile, Israel has shown Iran the extent of its intelligence penetration into the country and cannot, at least for the foreseeable future, continue its war without enraging Trump.—
Michelle Goldberg,
Mercury News,
26 June 2025
Verb
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On the other hand, there’s room in America for Afrikaners from South Africa, the white minority of Dutch origin who claim they are being persecuted and subject to violence inflicted by the majority Black population.—
Howard Simon,
The Orlando Sentinel,
15 July 2025
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Many noted that Superman has always been political, and that the comic series was also created by sons of Jewish immigrants in 1938 — as Hitler’s Nazi Germany was persecuting Jews.—
Angela Yang,
NBC news,
10 July 2025
Verb
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If things were in fact bugged during the Contest Mode run, a limited-time offering, that’s going to be something if a disaster to admit.—
Paul Tassi,
Forbes.com,
21 July 2025
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Say your mother kept bugging you to change a bad habit.—
Bruce Y. Lee,
Forbes.com,
11 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Rile.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rile. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.
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