1
as in teaser
a person who causes repeated emotional pain, distress, or annoyance to another
she can be a very cruel tease when she happens upon an unpopular girl who is easily hurt
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in nuisance
one who is obnoxiously annoying
my youngest brother is a complete tease, following me around everywhere and aping my every move
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to joke
to make fun of in a good-natured way
likes to tease her twin brother about his seemingly endless string of girlfriends
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2
as in to taunt
to attack repeatedly with mean put-downs or insults
grew up being teased because his parents were hog farmers
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of tease
Conçetta Ciarlo, Vogue, 12 Dec. 2025
The Game Awards official account then replied to Keighley’s tease, showing the location of the Mojave Desert.
—Tyler Erzberger, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Dec. 2025
Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 6 Jan. 2026
Poehler teased after the gaffe.
—Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 6 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for tease
Noun
No, that wasn’t a tease—there are still stellar options from each brand available to shop right now.
—Verb
Campbell, Raven-Symoné, and Devine’s roles are teased in the trailer above.
—Recent Examples of Synonyms for tease
Noun
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The teaser plunges viewers into the world of two content creators from contrasting backgrounds who unite for a collaboration fueled by curiosity, social media clout and mutual attraction.—
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One unannounced casting revealed in the teaser is that of Watkins.—
Noun
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An Orange County judge granted the city of Santa Ana’s request for a preliminary injunction against several businesses on East First Street accused of being public nuisances.—
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According to the American Mosquito Control Association, mosquitoes are not only a nuisance but also a public health concern, capable of carrying diseases like West Nile virus.—
Verb
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Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP George Clooney and Don Cheadle, who came onstage to present the final award for the night, joked about the standing ovation, with Cheadle noting Clooney did not receive one.—
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Roberts joked, motioning for the entire auditorium at the Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles to stand for her.—
Verb
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Lazzaro argued in court the mall victim was the aggressor and had taunted Hernandez over his history as a government informant, saying his reputation as a snitch would put him in grave danger back in prison.—
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The two come face-to-face at the end of the episode, during which Callahan taunts Kyle over his wife's murder.—
Noun
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Instead, the lawsuit argued, law enforcement in the area where the harasser lived should have served the papers.—
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Moreover, when harassers disproportionately target women, people of color and LGBTQ officials, entire communities are systematically excluded from participation in self-governance.—
Noun
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Congress used to debate authorizing such things, but with the GOP House and Senate now reduced to glorified White House staff offices, Trump need not trifle with such annoyances.—
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At the time, liberalism’s leading intellectuals laughed off public annoyance at Obama’s lackluster performance, declaring that to expect big things from him was to believe—childishly, contemptibly—that the president was a kind of superhero.—
Verb
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There’s an adults-only section and a large, warm pool that kids love.—
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Literally toxic lesbians — kidding.—
Noun
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Hopper grabs El and leaves Kali behind to be captured by her torturers again.—
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The overwhelming majority of experts dispute that torture actually works as an interrogation technique, arguing that any information that comes out of it is unreliable as people under duress will say anything needed to convince their torturers to stop.—
Cite this Entry
“Tease.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tease. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
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