a thorn in the/someone's flesh/side
idiom
: a person or thing that repeatedly annoys someone or something or causes problems
He's been a thorn in my side for years.
a thorn in the side of the industry
Examples of a thorn in the/someone's flesh/side in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The early part of the season indicated Arizona would indeed be a thorn in the side of the Dodgers and one of the best teams in the NL.
—
Andrew Wright, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 June 2025
The law has been a thorn in the side of the Trump administration’s campaign to ramp up deportations, which the president has cast as an effort to rid the country of criminals despite also targeting immigrants with no prior convictions.
—Taryn Luna, Los Angeles Times, 30 May 2025
More recently, cyberattacks have been a thorn in the side of retailers, with Adidas confirming Tuesday that certain customer data was stolen through a third-party customer service provider.
—Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 28 May 2025
The Freedom Caucus was once a thorn in the side of Trump early in his first term, when members opposed an ObamaCare replacement bill the president pushed for.
—Caroline Vakil, The Hill, 28 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for a thorn in the/someone's flesh/side
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Andrew Wright, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 June 2025
The law has been a thorn in the side of the Trump administration’s campaign to ramp up deportations, which the president has cast as an effort to rid the country of criminals despite also targeting immigrants with no prior convictions.
—Taryn Luna, Los Angeles Times, 30 May 2025
More recently, cyberattacks have been a thorn in the side of retailers, with Adidas confirming Tuesday that certain customer data was stolen through a third-party customer service provider.
—Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 28 May 2025
The Freedom Caucus was once a thorn in the side of Trump early in his first term, when members opposed an ObamaCare replacement bill the president pushed for.
—Caroline Vakil, The Hill, 28 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for a thorn in the/someone's flesh/side
Cite this Entry
“A thorn in the/someone's flesh/side.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/a%20thorn%20in%20the%2Fsomeone%27s%20flesh%2Fside. Accessed 8 Jun. 2025.
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