ruffled feathers

NOUN

offense

Synonyms

WEAK

affront aggression assailment assault attack battery black eye blitz blitzkrieg dig dirty dig dudgeon harm hit huff hurt indignation indignity injury injustice left-handed compliment miff mugging onset onslaught outrage pique push put-down resentment slam slap in the face slight snub umbrage zinger

Example Sentences

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See Examples For:

ruffled feathers

The explosive and heart-wrenching tell-all, released this week, has reportedly ruffled feathers inside Buckingham Palace, and its not hard to imagine why.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 25, 2026

Each had various degrees of success but two of them ruffled feathers.

From BBC ● Jun. 29, 2026

White likewise plays down the impact of forays into local politics by fellow US ambassadors that have ruffled feathers in France, Poland and elsewhere.

From Barron's ● Apr. 21, 2026

That approach ruffled feathers across the sport, as detractors argued that the offseason shopping spree was against the spirit of college sports—a bridge too far even in the wild west of today’s NCAA.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 7, 2026

“His Majesty and I agree that we must answer the Fairy Queen’s invitation,” Lord Raiden put in, trying to smooth both King Cai’s and Maire Morighan’s ruffled feathers.

From "Huntress" by Malinda Lo