1
as in to confuse
to throw into a state of self-conscious distress
the modest young soldiers were embarrassed by the public praise for their heroism
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to impede
to create difficulty for the work or activity of
a lot of this paperwork is unnecessary and just embarrasses the organization
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to complicate
to make complex or difficult
claims that the new government regulations will needlessly embarrass the operations of small businesses in the state
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 embarrass
Many of them had to fail, repeat, embarrass themselves, risk everything, and learn.
—
Ars Technica, 23 Mar. 2025
Ukrainian troops seized the area inside Russia, just over Ukraine’s eastern border, last year in an audacious move that embarrassed Moscow.
—Courtney Kube, NBC News, 15 Mar. 2025
Ukraine's daring incursion last August led to the first occupation of Russian soil by foreign troops since World War II and embarrassed the Kremlin.
—Raja Krishnamoorthi, Newsweek, 13 Mar. 2025
In the 1990s, The Towering Inferno might have won, but today the academy will not, of course, embarrass itself.
—Bill Wyman, Vulture, 28 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for embarrass
Ars Technica, 23 Mar. 2025
Ukrainian troops seized the area inside Russia, just over Ukraine’s eastern border, last year in an audacious move that embarrassed Moscow.
—Courtney Kube, NBC News, 15 Mar. 2025
Ukraine's daring incursion last August led to the first occupation of Russian soil by foreign troops since World War II and embarrassed the Kremlin.
—Raja Krishnamoorthi, Newsweek, 13 Mar. 2025
In the 1990s, The Towering Inferno might have won, but today the academy will not, of course, embarrass itself.
—Bill Wyman, Vulture, 28 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for embarrass
Recent Examples of Synonyms for embarrass
Verb
-
No one was going to confuse Colossal with the Sierra Club.—
D. T. Max,
New Yorker,
7 Apr. 2025
-
Let go of a common misconception Some parents worry that teaching their child multiple languages will set them back or confuse them.—
Julia Furlan,
NPR,
5 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Removing opportunities for public commentary could impede the department’s ability to operate in the public’s interest, according to experts who spoke with Reuters.—
Joshua P. Cohen,
Forbes.com,
3 Apr. 2025
-
The charges were first dropped a few weeks into President Donald Trump’s second term in part because the case would impede Adams’ ability to do his job as mayor, including cooperating with Trump’s immigration crackdown, the Justice Department’s new acting deputy attorney general wrote.—
Gloria Pazmino,
CNN Money,
3 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
That Rocked Myanmar and Thailand But recovery efforts—including understanding the full extent of the damage and getting aid to where it’s needed most—are complicated by Myanmar’s ongoing civil war.—
Chad de Guzman,
Time,
3 Apr. 2025
-
Data privacy and security issues further complicate this landscape, again pointing to the need for robust safeguards to prevent misuse.—
Melody Brue,
Forbes.com,
2 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Jimmy Kimmel flustered guest Pedro Pascal with a suggestive question about Reed Richards' stretchable body parts on Monday's episode of his late-night show.—
Jessica Wang,
EW.com,
25 Mar. 2025
-
DePaul Prep rallied, though, flustering the Crusaders with a full-court press.—
Steve Millar,
Chicago Tribune,
16 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
Related article Recession odds are rising as Trump’s trade war escalates, Goldman Sachs says The economy faces a growing risk of a recession as tariffs could hinder growth, increase unemployment and contribute to inflation, according to Goldman Sachs.—
John Towfighi,
CNN Money,
31 Mar. 2025
-
Such rigid mentalities can lead team members to avoid challenges, fear failure and resist feedback, which ultimately hinders their organizations’ overall business growth.—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes.com,
31 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
And some Democrats are still perplexed by the fact that last November Donald Trump became the first Republican since maybe Abraham Lincoln to carry Fall River.—
Howie Carr,
Boston Herald,
26 Mar. 2025
-
Dahl was especially perplexed by the response to Evans’s fall.—
Ronan Farrow,
The New Yorker,
24 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
Because Congress never bothered to write a law to establish it.—
Jay Cost,
The Washington Examiner,
28 Mar. 2025
-
Chicago Bears - Will Campbell, OL, LSU Will Campbell has fallen a bit due to his shorter arm length, but that likely won't bother Ben Johnson.—
Paul Du Quenoy,
MSNBC Newsweek,
28 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
Aly Song | Reuters Trump's tariffs on China are already hampering Christmas sales.—
Dan Mangan,Kevin Breuninger,Jeff Cox,Christina Wilkie,Erin Doherty,Ruxandra Iordache,
CNBC,
9 Apr. 2025
-
The daytime setting undermined their gimmicks, and Wyatt's early ankle injury hampered his performance, leading to a slow, unengaging match that failed to live up to the intriguing potential of the pairing.—
Gordon G. Chang,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Embarrass.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/embarrass. Accessed 15 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share