1
as in suckers
a person with a strong and habitual liking for something
a camera bug who loves taking candid shots at fairs and festivals
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in diseases
an abnormal state that disrupts a plant's or animal's normal bodily functioning
I can't go to work today because I've caught some bug that's going around
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in lunatics
a person having or showing a severely disordered or abnormal state of mind
a bug with a fascination for committing arson
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in annoys
to disturb the peace of mind of (someone) especially by repeated disagreeable acts
these incessant phone calls are really starting to bug me
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in bothers
to thrust oneself upon (another) without invitation
I hate to bug you, but could you help me move this table?
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 bugs
Andy Humbles, Nashville Tennessean, 23 Oct. 2025
Hot water is a great way to clean sheets that are heavily soiled, to get rid of uninvited guests like bed bugs or lice, or to kill dust mites.
—Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 23 Oct. 2025
Many popular home remedies, like essential oils and sticky traps, are largely ineffective against boxelder bugs.
—Nafeesah Allen, Better Homes & Gardens, 23 Oct. 2025
The water surface holds dust particles and the wings/ shells of bugs that inhabit the building, a sign of the wear and tear in the very space that hosts the work.
—Mario Rodriguez, Miami Herald, 23 Oct. 2025
Think catfish bigger than humans, caimans, fish that can jump out of the water to eat bugs, and, of course, anacondas.
—Jeri Clausing, AFAR Media, 21 Oct. 2025
These updates essentially allow car brands to patch software bugs and upgrade vehicles remotely, nipping issues in the bud and improving vehicles without the help of a licensed technician.
—Charles Singh, USA Today, 21 Oct. 2025
Gold bulls, bears and bugs alike have been aware that its angle of ascent looked unsustainable.
—Michael Santoli, CNBC, 21 Oct. 2025
Instead of a membrane-like surface seen on other bugs, the leg organ is composed of a waxy covering dotted with several thousand pores connected to porous glands.
—Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 16 Oct. 2025
Nafeesah Allen, Better Homes & Gardens, 23 Oct. 2025
Chinch bugs overwinter in moist, deep thatch.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 17 Oct. 2025
Daily Stride Comfort No-show Socks There is nothing that bugs me more than no-show socks that curl up underneath your foot minutes into wearing them.
—Melony Forcier, Travel + Leisure, 5 Oct. 2025
At the end of the 19th century, Phylloxera bugs infected vineyards across Europe but a solution was found, and viticulture adapted and continued.
—Miguel A. Torres, Time, 3 Oct. 2025
The singer admitted that he bugs Brown and his son for constant updates on the baby girl.
—Janelle Ash, FOXNews.com, 28 Sep. 2025
Which bugs bite on the NC coast?
—Evan Moore, Charlotte Observer, 25 Sep. 2025
On average, the matador bugs increased their waving behavior seven times more in the presence of the predatory mantids.
—Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 11 Sep. 2025
Fort Worth bed bugs The B-plot of Episode 7 has Peggy setting up a Little Free Library in her front yard in an effort to build community.
—Jake Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 Aug. 2025
Noun
And there's the basic annoyance of live bugs in the home.
—Andy Humbles, Nashville Tennessean, 23 Oct. 2025
Hot water is a great way to clean sheets that are heavily soiled, to get rid of uninvited guests like bed bugs or lice, or to kill dust mites.
—Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 23 Oct. 2025
Many popular home remedies, like essential oils and sticky traps, are largely ineffective against boxelder bugs.
—Nafeesah Allen, Better Homes & Gardens, 23 Oct. 2025
The water surface holds dust particles and the wings/ shells of bugs that inhabit the building, a sign of the wear and tear in the very space that hosts the work.
—Mario Rodriguez, Miami Herald, 23 Oct. 2025
Think catfish bigger than humans, caimans, fish that can jump out of the water to eat bugs, and, of course, anacondas.
—Jeri Clausing, AFAR Media, 21 Oct. 2025
These updates essentially allow car brands to patch software bugs and upgrade vehicles remotely, nipping issues in the bud and improving vehicles without the help of a licensed technician.
—Charles Singh, USA Today, 21 Oct. 2025
Gold bulls, bears and bugs alike have been aware that its angle of ascent looked unsustainable.
—Michael Santoli, CNBC, 21 Oct. 2025
Instead of a membrane-like surface seen on other bugs, the leg organ is composed of a waxy covering dotted with several thousand pores connected to porous glands.
—Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 16 Oct. 2025
Verb
Both can reduce debris or items that attract the boxelder bugs.
—Nafeesah Allen, Better Homes & Gardens, 23 Oct. 2025
Chinch bugs overwinter in moist, deep thatch.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 17 Oct. 2025
Daily Stride Comfort No-show Socks There is nothing that bugs me more than no-show socks that curl up underneath your foot minutes into wearing them.
—Melony Forcier, Travel + Leisure, 5 Oct. 2025
At the end of the 19th century, Phylloxera bugs infected vineyards across Europe but a solution was found, and viticulture adapted and continued.
—Miguel A. Torres, Time, 3 Oct. 2025
The singer admitted that he bugs Brown and his son for constant updates on the baby girl.
—Janelle Ash, FOXNews.com, 28 Sep. 2025
Which bugs bite on the NC coast?
—Evan Moore, Charlotte Observer, 25 Sep. 2025
On average, the matador bugs increased their waving behavior seven times more in the presence of the predatory mantids.
—Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 11 Sep. 2025
Fort Worth bed bugs The B-plot of Episode 7 has Peggy setting up a Little Free Library in her front yard in an effort to build community.
—Jake Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bugs
Noun
-
The body of each tentacle is crafted out of resin, and the individual suckers are then painted and polished before being applied by hand.—
Joelle Diderich,
Footwear News,
21 Oct. 2025
-
Remove any shoots and suckers that appear on the trunk or near the roots, and get rid of crossing or dead branches.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
13 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Instead, the soldiers carried bacteria that cause enteric fever and relapsing fever, two diseases that may have hastened the army’s downfall.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
24 Oct. 2025
-
Both diseases would have been deadly in the early 1800s in the absence of sanitary conditions and antibiotics.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
24 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
There were these lunatics in the car.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
22 Oct. 2025
-
So that episode will make fun [of] billionaire life-extension body-hacking lunatics.—
Wesley Stenzel,
Entertainment Weekly,
28 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Naturally, this annoys Alex to no end.—
Maggie Fremont,
Vulture,
17 Sep. 2025
-
This annoys his wife, who hankers after Bingley (sight unseen) as a future son-in-law.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
4 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Why ban books, Postman asked, if no one bothers to read them?—
Time,
Time,
10 Sep. 2025
-
What bothers her most is how the refusal seemed to change her brother’s behavior.—
Ashley Vega,
PEOPLE,
10 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The pride of Odysseus, the passion of Shakespeare’s lovers, and the dread facing Ivan Ilyich on his deathbed remain inextinguishable qualities of our inner lives.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
28 Oct. 2025
-
For dog lovers, USA TODAY Pets is your ultimate resource — from training tips to health hacks and fun stories.—
Allison Moses,
USA Today,
28 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
First, Yung suggested speaking with a doctor to rule out any underlying illnesses.—
Kaleigh Werner,
Footwear News,
26 Oct. 2025
-
Getting into conflict with strays can leave them with severe injuries or new illnesses, which can be contracted from scratches or bites.—
Maria Azzurra Volpe,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Haunted Trail takes visitors outdoors through a path with dense fog and several haunting installations with zombies, a ghoul bus, a graveyard filled with ghosts, chainsaw maniacs and more.—
Ut Community Press,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
21 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Bugs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bugs. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share