niggle

Defender Djed Spence has complained of a muscular niggle before England's last-16 World Cup meeting with Mexico.

From BBC ● Jul. 5, 2026

Rogers has impressed under Tuchel, starting five and featuring in all eight of the games the German has managed - though a hamstring niggle could give Bellingham the opportunity to start against Serbia.

From BBC ● Nov. 12, 2025

Mbappe had received treatment for a "small niggle" in his right ankle picked up playing for Real Madrid last weekend.

From Barron's ● Oct. 9, 2025

The only real moment of concern for the 2021 US Open champion was when she appeared to be bothered by a back niggle in the second set.

From BBC ● Aug. 27, 2025

With a niggle of unease, Jesper wondered what else Rollins might have told Kaz.

From "Six of Crows" by Leigh Bardugo

Jenkins said he "expected a few niggles" following the operation, but his fitness started to deteriorate rapidly and he "knew nothing had changed".

From BBC ● Jan. 14, 2026

Patients are being warned not to clog up A&E with everyday niggles as NHS figures show thousands turned to hospitals for minor ailments such as hiccups and ingrowing toenails last winter.

From BBC ● Dec. 3, 2025

At times he looked like Laurel and Hardy's car with various bits of his body looking like they were going to fall off because of his niggles.

From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2025

In 2023, after a succession of niggles, Jack Draper said he hated "being the guy who is injured a lot".

From BBC ● Jan. 18, 2025

Bowler Mark Wood and all-rounder Liam Livingstone will miss the match because of knee niggles but fast bowler Jofra Archer will make his first England appearance since March, weather-permitting.

From BBC ● May 21, 2024

She said concerns around the situation have "niggled" her since.

From BBC ● Feb. 12, 2026

Although his knee completely gave up on him when the stakes were highest, it has allowed Aspinall to have surgery, solving a problem which has niggled away at him for his entire UFC career.

From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2023

As study after study revealed the limits of screening — and the dangers of overtreatment — a thought niggled at my consciousness.

From New York Times ● Apr. 27, 2013

With Eddie, he niggled and piggled and wriggled.

From The Guardian ● Mar. 30, 2013

A small sadness niggled at the back of her mind: this meant Joe would not be coming home until the end of the summer.

From "The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics" by Daniel James Brown

For some Labour MPs this will be a niggling sign of indecision.

From BBC ● Jul. 17, 2026

In a maelstrom, one might think such niggling questions of jurisdiction and their attendant turf wars would be set aside.

From Slate ● Jul. 7, 2026

It was not the first time Larissa had run away but Karen said something was "niggling" her this time.

From BBC ● May 27, 2026

On a separate farewell podcast for paid subscribers, Maron and his longtime producer Brendan McDonald explained that the relentless workload was tiring and articulated a niggling feeling that the show belonged to a different era.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 23, 2026

But I was depressed by what it represented—the hours measured, the boredom of inmates and irritation of officers, the ticking of the clock, the niggling accountability.

From "Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing" by Ted Conover