1
as in job
a dull, unpleasant, or difficult piece of work filling out all the required forms was a real headache
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in nuisance
something that is a source of irritation one of the headaches of being a band teacher is never knowing if the school's music program will be cut
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 headache There are more than 300 headache causes. —
Daryl Austin, USA Today, 19 Apr. 2026 The contrast between 2009 and what’s happened over the past 16 months — as the city deals with its biggest budget headaches since Sanders was mayor — is striking. —U T Editorial Board, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 Apr. 2026 Airplane cabins are dry, which can lead to dry skin and eyes, headaches, and even dehydration. —Jill Robbins, Travel + Leisure, 18 Apr. 2026 Sources also previously told CBS News New York Penn Station will partially close for four hours before each match, adding to the transportation headache. —Jesse Zanger, CBS News, 17 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for headache
Daryl Austin, USA Today, 19 Apr. 2026 The contrast between 2009 and what’s happened over the past 16 months — as the city deals with its biggest budget headaches since Sanders was mayor — is striking. —U T Editorial Board, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 Apr. 2026 Airplane cabins are dry, which can lead to dry skin and eyes, headaches, and even dehydration. —Jill Robbins, Travel + Leisure, 18 Apr. 2026 Sources also previously told CBS News New York Penn Station will partially close for four hours before each match, adding to the transportation headache. —Jesse Zanger, CBS News, 17 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for headache
Recent Examples of Synonyms for headache
Noun
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The company expected to be nearly halfway to its goal of 25,000 new jobs in the area by 2038.— Kendall Staton, Washington Post, 20 Apr. 2026
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And really got to that and did a nice job of mixing the four-seamer, the two-seamer.— LaMond Pope, Chicago Tribune, 20 Apr. 2026
Noun
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City code does say that livestock cannot become a nuisance.— Idaho Statesman, Idaho Statesman, 16 Apr. 2026
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The spider’s diet includes ants (Hymenoptera), flies and mosquitoes (Diptera) and beetles (Coleoptera) — a lineup that reads like a checklist of common household nuisances.— Ryan Brennan, Charlotte Observer, 15 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Admitted Gilgo Beach, New York, serial killer Rex Heuermann confessed to the murders of eight women last week, bringing resolution to a 17-year killing spree that terrorized Long Island.— ABC News, ABC News, 16 Apr. 2026
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Cavill’s immortal character is revealed to have been born in 1518 and is forced to fight fellow undying killers at The Gathering, where only one survivor can be left alive.— Jordan Moreau, Variety, 16 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Precision now saves you from rework and frustration later.— Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 21 Apr. 2026
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Towns raised his hands — calling for the ball — then dropped them in frustration.— Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 21 Apr. 2026
Noun
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If that’s true, the entire psychological burden of the piece has been distilled into that one strained digit.— Zachary Fine, New Yorker, 20 Apr. 2026
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These parasites reveal what sanitation, disease burden, and population health were really like in this region of the Roman Empire, known for its ingenuity and innovation, but sometimes, public health might not be up to par.— Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 19 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The veteran forward has long been a thorn in their side, and has a long history of trying to injure Warriors, and succeeding at it.— Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 16 Apr. 2026
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Historically, West Palm Beach’s Keiser University has been a thorn in STU’s side as the Seahawks are 8-0 all-time against the Bobcats.— Walter Villa, Miami Herald, 16 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Limited production, self-distribution, and low visibility can all play a role, and without intentional effort to build demand and relationships, their wines can remain just as absent from local lists.— Maryam Ahmed, Bon Appetit Magazine, 22 Apr. 2026
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To write a poem requires effort, art, inspiration.— New York Times, New York Times, 21 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Put the worry of blisters behind you once and for all, and step into spring in style with the most comfortable shoes, according to the internet.— Stephanie Osmanski, Better Homes & Gardens, 16 Apr. 2026
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Burritt said the upshot is that his company, as a Nippon subsidiary, is freed from worries about geopolitical uncertainty.— Cory Schouten, semafor.com, 16 Apr. 2026
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An Abbreviated History of American English Spelling
Soop, wimmen, and headake did not make the cut
Cite this Entry
“Headache.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.grautoblog.com/thesaurus/headache. Accessed 23 Apr. 2026.
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