as in pains
a sharp unpleasant sensation usually felt in some specific part of the body
a dull pounding ache in his head
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Recent Examples of aches
Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 28 Apr. 2026
Mary Jannotta sliced meat and cheese behind deli counters at Acme and Pathmark supermarkets in the Philadelphia suburbs for decades, developing aches that came with working on her feet.
—Craig R. McCoy, CNN Money, 24 Apr. 2026
Growing up, Curp wrestled with fatigue and aches, not only on her skin, but also in her joints.
—Xitlalic Montelongo, Miami Herald, 23 Apr. 2026
And after 134,387 steps — which breaks down to about 67 miles — my feet still felt surprisingly fresh, with no aches or sweaty toes.
—Toni Sutton, PEOPLE, 23 Apr. 2026
Mary Jannotta sliced meat and cheese behind deli counters at Acme and Pathmark supermarkets in the Philadelphia suburbs for decades, developing aches that came with working on her feet.
—Craig R. McCoy, ProPublica, 23 Apr. 2026
Each tablet contains 200 milligrams of ibuprofen and is one of the best over-the-counter pain relievers for those suffering from conditions such as muscular aches, minor arthritis pain, toothache, backache, menstrual cramps or minor aches.
—Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 16 Apr. 2026
Watch for a bull’s-eye rash or flu-like symptoms including fever, body aches and nausea in the days and weeks following a bite.
—Allison Palmer, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Apr. 2026
Grandmother explains how each plant helps humans ease aches and pains, as well as offering good foods like honey from the bees that drink from plants.
—Mary Ann Grossmann, Twin Cities, 12 Apr. 2026
Carly Sauvageau, USA Today, 29 Apr. 2026
Babesiosis, transmitted by blacklegged ticks, can cause flu-like symptoms — fever, chills, fatigue and muscle aches — and can be severe or fatal in older adults or those with weakened immune systems, according to scientists.
—Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 27 Apr. 2026
Other symptoms include fever, headache, chills, and muscle aches.
—Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 25 Apr. 2026
All tickborne viruses cause fever, headache, fatigue, and muscle aches, while some (like Lyme) cause distinctive rashes.
—Cara Lynn Shultz, PEOPLE, 24 Apr. 2026
In other words, resilience is not about sealing the wound and pretending it no longer aches.
—Keith M. Bellizzi, The Conversation, 13 Apr. 2026
Long week of being sick, out of it, fatigue, body aches, not being able to move [or get] out of bed.
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 3 Apr. 2026
Symptoms generally appear within one or two weeks of infection, and can include fever, headache, rash and body aches.
—City News Service, Daily News, 3 Apr. 2026
Symptoms typically appear within one to two weeks after becoming infected and may include fever, headache, rash, and body aches.
—Julie Sharp, CBS News, 2 Apr. 2026
Noun
The 36-year-old has dealt with lower-body aches and pains throughout his Yankees tenure, and the tennis elbows that forced him to miss the first few months of the 2025 season still require maintenance.
—Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 28 Apr. 2026
Mary Jannotta sliced meat and cheese behind deli counters at Acme and Pathmark supermarkets in the Philadelphia suburbs for decades, developing aches that came with working on her feet.
—Craig R. McCoy, CNN Money, 24 Apr. 2026
Growing up, Curp wrestled with fatigue and aches, not only on her skin, but also in her joints.
—Xitlalic Montelongo, Miami Herald, 23 Apr. 2026
And after 134,387 steps — which breaks down to about 67 miles — my feet still felt surprisingly fresh, with no aches or sweaty toes.
—Toni Sutton, PEOPLE, 23 Apr. 2026
Mary Jannotta sliced meat and cheese behind deli counters at Acme and Pathmark supermarkets in the Philadelphia suburbs for decades, developing aches that came with working on her feet.
—Craig R. McCoy, ProPublica, 23 Apr. 2026
Each tablet contains 200 milligrams of ibuprofen and is one of the best over-the-counter pain relievers for those suffering from conditions such as muscular aches, minor arthritis pain, toothache, backache, menstrual cramps or minor aches.
—Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 16 Apr. 2026
Watch for a bull’s-eye rash or flu-like symptoms including fever, body aches and nausea in the days and weeks following a bite.
—Allison Palmer, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Apr. 2026
Grandmother explains how each plant helps humans ease aches and pains, as well as offering good foods like honey from the bees that drink from plants.
—Mary Ann Grossmann, Twin Cities, 12 Apr. 2026
Verb
The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the symptoms of Legionnaires' disease are similar to those of other types of pneumonia, including cough, fever, headache, muscle aches, and shortness of breath.
—Carly Sauvageau, USA Today, 29 Apr. 2026
Babesiosis, transmitted by blacklegged ticks, can cause flu-like symptoms — fever, chills, fatigue and muscle aches — and can be severe or fatal in older adults or those with weakened immune systems, according to scientists.
—Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 27 Apr. 2026
Other symptoms include fever, headache, chills, and muscle aches.
—Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 25 Apr. 2026
All tickborne viruses cause fever, headache, fatigue, and muscle aches, while some (like Lyme) cause distinctive rashes.
—Cara Lynn Shultz, PEOPLE, 24 Apr. 2026
In other words, resilience is not about sealing the wound and pretending it no longer aches.
—Keith M. Bellizzi, The Conversation, 13 Apr. 2026
Long week of being sick, out of it, fatigue, body aches, not being able to move [or get] out of bed.
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 3 Apr. 2026
Symptoms generally appear within one or two weeks of infection, and can include fever, headache, rash and body aches.
—City News Service, Daily News, 3 Apr. 2026
Symptoms typically appear within one to two weeks after becoming infected and may include fever, headache, rash, and body aches.
—Julie Sharp, CBS News, 2 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for aches
Noun
-
Iran’s political leadership has been at pains to dispel reports of infighting and to project a unified approach to the country’s military objectives and negotiating strategy.—
Mostafa Salem,
CNN Money,
22 Apr. 2026
-
The pressures of fame and the pains of Michael’s brand of friendlessness are barely explored, beyond the requisite scenes of screaming fans crowding outside the family estate and a terrified Michael attempting to get away from them (while still politely waving).—
Kate Erbland,
IndieWire,
21 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Yes, DiVincenzo’s absence hurts Minnesota’s prospects of making a deep playoff push.—
Jace Frederick,
Twin Cities,
26 Apr. 2026
-
Inflation hurts on so many levels.—
Susan Tompor,
USA Today,
26 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The book cover trend, imbued with nostalgia for childhood, promises fiction that grapples with the pangs of adulthood in an age of precarity.—
Maddie Connors,
Los Angeles Times,
16 Mar. 2026
-
Minnesota fans may have had some mild pangs over parting with Buium or Rossi, but a mid- to late-20s pick for arguably the best defenseman on the planet?—
Sean McIndoe,
New York Times,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
My boredom typically spurs feelings of frustration, guilt, shame—and long nutritionless spells of goggling, slack-jawed, at celebrity news on my phone while the world throbs around me.—
Daniel Smith,
The Atlantic,
27 Feb. 2026
-
Pain that is not a word throbs in his shoulders, awakens him each morning.—
Rosa Lyster,
Harpers Magazine,
6 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Researchers suggested that future studies should include people who actually experience tingles to better understand how ASMR might help with mental health and relaxation.—
Lucy Notarantonio,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Aches.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/aches. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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