1
2
as in eroded
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 annoyed
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of chafed
But the announcement April 28 that the United Arab Emirates was leaving OPEC caps years of tension where the desert state chafed under the cartel’s quotas, and recently, encountered severe strain in its relationship with Saudi Arabia, the group’s most potent force by far.
—
Shawn Tully, Fortune, 29 Apr. 2026
Local officials have often chafed at state leaders’ willingness to impose themselves on the city, whether on police control, guns or housing rules.
—Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 9 Apr. 2026
Perhaps Fogel, a fervent leftist, chafed at having to celebrate the family, that bourgeois institution.
—Judith Shulevitz, The Atlantic, 9 Apr. 2026
After Musk’s departure, Amodei and other researchers chafed against the leadership of Brockman, whom some considered an abrasive operator, and of Sutskever, who was generally viewed as principled but disorganized.
—Ronan Farrow, New Yorker, 6 Apr. 2026
Some have also chafed at the increasing symbiosis between the paper and WBFF.
—Max Tani, semafor.com, 6 Apr. 2026
Others chafed at pre-empting local rules.
—Mark Dee
march 28, Idaho Statesman, 28 Mar. 2026
Those Cubs teams were full of veterans who often chafed at Lou Piniella’s old-school managing ways but won anyway, at least until the postseason.
—Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 13 Mar. 2026
Council members have long chafed at their exclusion from an intergovernmental agreement between the city and MARTA that dictates how decisions are made within the More MARTA program established by voters in a 2016 referendum.
—Sara Gregory, AJC.com, 26 Feb. 2026
Shawn Tully, Fortune, 29 Apr. 2026
Local officials have often chafed at state leaders’ willingness to impose themselves on the city, whether on police control, guns or housing rules.
—Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 9 Apr. 2026
Perhaps Fogel, a fervent leftist, chafed at having to celebrate the family, that bourgeois institution.
—Judith Shulevitz, The Atlantic, 9 Apr. 2026
After Musk’s departure, Amodei and other researchers chafed against the leadership of Brockman, whom some considered an abrasive operator, and of Sutskever, who was generally viewed as principled but disorganized.
—Ronan Farrow, New Yorker, 6 Apr. 2026
Some have also chafed at the increasing symbiosis between the paper and WBFF.
—Max Tani, semafor.com, 6 Apr. 2026
Others chafed at pre-empting local rules.
—Mark Dee
march 28, Idaho Statesman, 28 Mar. 2026
Those Cubs teams were full of veterans who often chafed at Lou Piniella’s old-school managing ways but won anyway, at least until the postseason.
—Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 13 Mar. 2026
Council members have long chafed at their exclusion from an intergovernmental agreement between the city and MARTA that dictates how decisions are made within the More MARTA program established by voters in a 2016 referendum.
—Sara Gregory, AJC.com, 26 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for chafed
Verb
-
His last-minute, mixmaster approach to closing out the transit negotiations irritated several participants, but the end result was a fiscally responsible and transformative restructuring of mass transit in northern Illinois.—
David Greising,
Chicago Tribune,
24 Apr. 2026
-
Even minimal exposure to artificial lights irritated his burns, and recovery took months.—
Natalie Krebs,
Outdoor Life,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
In the process, however, one of the big distinguishing aspects of TV – the large audiences who once assembled to watch dramas, sitcoms and reality shows – has eroded.—
Brian Steinberg,
Variety,
30 Apr. 2026
-
At some point, however, those buffers will start to get eroded — especially if higher fuel costs start showing up in household staple goods.—
Rob Wile,
NBC news,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Teams routinely get annoyed with media that spends time on this sort of thing, but there is no better sales tactic than drama.—
Mac Engel
April 16,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
16 Apr. 2026
-
But now Lamar is doing press annoyed with me.—
Bethy Squires,
Vulture,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
And scratched nonstick pans are a real concern for most home cooks.—
Jennifer Zyman,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
28 Apr. 2026
-
In fact, Bump — who was drawn into the lineup after Tocchet scratched forward Matvei Michkov — scored a massive goal to get the Flyers on the board after falling behind 2-0.—
Matt Reigle OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Melania wore a double-breasted crepe suit from American designer Adam Lippes, who also designed her navy-and-ivory ensemble for the president's second inauguration ceremony last year.—
Kathryn Palmer,
USA Today,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Princess Kate, 44, wore a navy coat dress by Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen (her bridal gown designer) with white lapels and a matching navy Jane Taylor hat, completing the look with a poignant poppy pin, navy pumps by Gianvito Rossi and a mini DeMellier handbag.—
Janine Henni,
PEOPLE,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Who never bothered to delete the erroneous post.—
Joe Rexrode,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
-
With Minnesota viewing them as soft, the Nuggets hardly seem bothered by the criticism.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The coalition of supporters that made this strategy work has frayed, and new research is raising concerns about the health impact of regular cannabis use.—
William Garriott,
The Conversation,
17 Apr. 2026
-
Election victor Péter Magyar, a former Orbán loyalist who campaigned against corruption and on everyday issues like health care and public transport, has pledged to rebuild Hungary’s relationships with the European Union and NATO — ties that frayed under Orbán.—
Justin Spike,
Fortune,
12 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Three people told the Washington Examiner that Scott had become paranoid that Lewandowski was spying on him through his work phone and had bugged his office.—
Anna Giaritelli,
The Washington Examiner,
27 Mar. 2026
-
Underwood went on The Bachelor as a straight man, made a connection with Randolph, broke up with her, bugged her car, and then was hit with a restraining order.—
Jason P. Frank,
Vulture,
27 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Chafed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/chafed. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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