How to Use thorn in a Sentence

thorn

noun
Definition of thornnext
Synonyms for thornnext
  • The artist had long been a thorn in Mr. Lukashenko’s side.
    — Alex Williams, New York Times, 25 July 2023
  • But that’s not the only thorn in the firm’s side right now.
    — Anne Sraders, Fortune, 5 Sep. 2023
  • But the Saints have been a thorn in their side in recent years.
    — Richard Morin, USA TODAY, 15 Sep. 2022
  • The next morning, a tiny thorn got wedged into the sole of my son’s foot.
    — Anja Mutic, Travel + Leisure, 22 Sep. 2023
  • Gallaher has been a thorn in the side of the village for years.
    — Corrinne Hess, Journal Sentinel, 3 Jan. 2023
  • This sounds great and all, but every rose has its thorn.
    — Elizabeth Gulino, refinery29.com, 3 July 2022
  • The move was successful, but made Young a thorn in Trump's side.
    — The Indianapolis Star, 13 Sep. 2022
  • My home as a child had one, and in my case, those thorn punctures can hurt for weeks.
    — oregonlive, 27 Nov. 2021
  • Heyward has been a thorn in the Browns’ side since he was drafted in the first round in 2011 out of Ohio State.
    — cleveland, 11 Sep. 2023
  • The sensitivity question has been a thorn in the side of the rapid test from the start.
    — Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, 22 Dec. 2021
  • If Manchin was one thorn in Schumer’s side, Sinema was the other.
    — Grace Segers, The New Republic, 13 Sep. 2022
  • However, the one team that has been a thorn in his side is the New Orleans Saints.
    — Doug Ziefel, Chicago Tribune, 5 Dec. 2022
  • Ankara, however, hasn't always been a thorn in the side of the alliance.
    — Nadeen Ebrahim and Abbas Al Lawati, CNN, 29 June 2022
  • Ansari was for years a thorn in the side of Afghanistan’s pro-Western government.
    — BostonGlobe.com, 2 Sep. 2022
  • Except his olive branch and this plan carry a few thorns.
    — Andrew Callahan, Hartford Courant, 8 Jan. 2024
  • But while Swiatek is often able to cruise through matches, Ostapenko has been a bit of a thorn in her side.
    — Jesus Jiménez, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2023
  • Ransomware has been a thorn in the side of state and local governments for years.
    — Sean Lyngaas, CNN, 13 Dec. 2021
  • Through four coaching staffs, the Dolphins have been a thorn in Bill Belichick’s side.
    — Steve Svekis, sun-sentinel.com, 12 Sep. 2021
  • But Harvard has been a thorn in Holy Cross’s side since Chesney took over.
    — Matt Doherty, BostonGlobe.com, 30 Sep. 2022
  • But a poor showing for his coalition could be a thorn in his side for the rest of his second five-year term.
    — Thomas Adamson, ajc, 11 June 2022
  • More:Alexei Navalny, a thorn in Vladimir Putin's side, died.
    — Anna Nemtsova, USA TODAY, 24 Feb. 2024
  • Takumi’s few words all relate to such matters: the flow of a stream, the thorns on a Siberian Ginseng, the tang of wild wasabi.
    — Jessica Kiang, Variety, 4 Sep. 2023
  • Upper Arlington continues to be a thorn in the side of the Sycamore girls, as well as most of Ohio.
    — Scott Springer, The Enquirer, 1 June 2022
  • Tagovailoa has been a thorn in the Patriots’ side, with a 4-0 record against them.
    — Ben Volin, BostonGlobe.com, 14 Sep. 2023
  • Defense has become the main thorn in the side of the Bulls, who ranked as one of the top defensive teams in the NBA only a few weeks ago.
    — Julia Poe, chicagotribune.com, 26 Jan. 2022
  • The interlaced branches of the trees above were not the thorn or fever trees of Africa, but American fir and spruce.
    — Jack O'Connor, Outdoor Life, 2 May 2024
  • Back at the safari lodge, Mwadilo has introduced us to a man who was once a thorn in his side.
    — Scott McLean, CNN, 15 Sep. 2021
  • These two whistleblowers haven’t been the only thorns in the side of Boeing amid the many issues with its Max line of planes.
    — Will Daniel, Fortune, 2 May 2024
  • Though there has been some relief recently, high interest rates have been a thorn in solar’s side throughout the past year.
    — Chris Hopper, Fortune, 20 May 2024
  • What to Consider Be careful not to catch on any thorns or branches as these joggers may be susceptible to rips.
    — Joel Balsam Published, Travel + Leisure, 21 May 2024

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'thorn.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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