hit/strike/touch a nerve

idiom

: to make someone feel angry, upset, embarrassed, etc.

Something she said to him must have hit/struck/touched a nerve. I've never seen him so angry.

His controversial column might have hit a (raw/sensitive) nerve with some readers.

Examples of hit/strike/touch a nerve in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

The incident hit a nerve in the city where there has been growing public anger over police violence, including an incident where an off-duty policeman killed a man for allegedly stealing soap from a market, Reuters reported. —

Abel Alvarado, CNN, 6 Dec. 2024 Fallon's mention of Trump's security during a 9/11 anniversary event seemed to strike a nerve with Rowe. —

Alexis Simmerman, Austin American-Statesman, 5 Dec. 2024 Capricorn December 22 – January 19 Joking around could hit a nerve without warning. —

Tarot.com, Sun Sentinel, 25 Aug. 2024 Austin Adams’ on-field celebration at their expense hit a nerve. —

Tim Britton, The Athletic, 15 Aug. 2024 See all Example Sentences for hit/strike/touch a nerve

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“Hit/strike/touch a nerve.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hit%2Fstrike%2Ftouch%20a%20nerve. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.

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