How to Use frustrate in a Sentence

frustrate

1 of 2 verb
  • It frustrated him to miss so many games because of injuries.
  • The lack of investors has frustrated them in their efforts to expand the company.
  • Bureaucratic delays have frustrated our efforts to resolve this problem.
  • We've been frustrated by bureaucratic delays.
  • Use what frustrates or excites you as a clue.
    — Cheryl Robinson, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2025
  • Both sides are frustrated, though a deal is not out of reach.
    — Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 11 Oct. 2025
  • Books like this can frustrate and baffle.
    — Literary Hub, 5 Mar. 2026
  • He was frustrated on that side.
    — Shreyas Laddha, Kansas City Star, 14 Oct. 2025
  • Stand-up comics have to do the same set every night, which would frustrate me.
    — Tony Maglio, HollywoodReporter, 17 Oct. 2025
  • This is aimed at those aged 18 and up, and could frustrate younger builders.
    — Paul Brett, Space.com, 2 Sep. 2025
  • Some are frustrated that the land won’t be given back to the town.
    — Steven Walker, The Orlando Sentinel, 14 Jan. 2026
  • The whole team is frustrated, but no one wants to say anything.
    — Johnny C. Taylor Jr, USA Today, 23 Dec. 2025
  • But starting with bone-dry potting mix can frustrate your plant from the start.
    — Jessica Safavimehr, Southern Living, 8 Apr. 2026
  • At least Charley seems to be as frustrated with this as the rest of us are.
    — Brian Moylan, Vulture, 26 Feb. 2026
  • What frustrates me is when the CTA isn’t there.
    — Chicago Tribune, 9 June 2026
  • That isn't the worst thing in the world, but fans are frustrated with losing.
    — Evan Massey, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Oct. 2025
  • As a musician, though, there’s one thing that frustrates him.
    — Annalee Newitz, Rolling Stone, 28 June 2023
  • But many are frustrated by the homeless.
    — U T Readers, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Sep. 2025
  • All of us who are frustrated by the status quo must make our voices heard.
    — Bruce Japsen, Forbes.com, 27 May 2026
  • This is where many travelers lose time and can get frustrated.
    — Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 16 Mar. 2026
  • Reducing it all to rubble can frustrate, yes, but those burns leave a mark.
    — Blake Simons, IndieWire, 26 Jan. 2026
  • Fans may be frustrated, but this is business as usual.
    — Allan Mitchell, New York Times, 16 Jan. 2026
  • Many people who are frustrated by high home prices have stopped trying to buy a house on their own.
    — Sara B. Hansen, Denver Post, 17 Apr. 2026
  • Our hero practices a lot, gets frustrated, gets hurt, but still succeeds.
    — Mike Barnes, HollywoodReporter, 29 Jan. 2026
  • That doesn’t always come in the form of on-court minutes, which frustrates segments of the fan base.
    — Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 14 Oct. 2025
  • And that’s part of the reason people are frustrated.
    — Peter Slevin, New Yorker, 4 May 2026
  • Lundgaard was frustrated with the result.
    — ABC News, 1 Mar. 2026
  • Meanwhile, the fans are frustrated, to put it mildly.
    — Sean McIndoe, New York Times, 3 Nov. 2025
  • The system has mostly been a hit, but a few bugs have left some players frustrated.
    — Mike Stubbs, Forbes, 12 Feb. 2024
  • Most opponents sit deep against them, seeking to frustrate.
    — Jack Lang, New York Times, 17 Jan. 2026

frustrate

2 of 2 adjective
  • Long copy, buried details or slow-loading pages don’t just frustrate.
    — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 20 Aug. 2025
  • What might well frustrate Heat fans is that the conference appears wide-open.
    — Miami Herald, 3 July 2025
  • Software updates and subscription fees in their cars might be starting to frustrate users.
    — Tristan Bove, Fortune, 15 Jan. 2026
  • Avoid using jargon or complex language that may confuse or frustrate users.
    — Yec, Forbes, 18 Apr. 2023
  • And that should help both local drivers and the many bottlenecks that frustrate rail passengers here.
    — The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 1 Aug. 2025
  • Yes, ticket prices increase every year, crowds frustrate and your ankle will probably be struck by a stroller.
    — Todd Martens, Los Angeles Times, 7 Apr. 2026
  • Trump may yet wash his hands of the war, if the two leaders – Putin especially – frustrate his efforts.
    — Tom Nagorski, Time, 16 Aug. 2025
  • But drones are the most cost-effective way to frustrate Russian advances and raise the price of aggression.
    — Mike Burbach, Twin Cities, 7 Oct. 2025
  • The printer works best with its own software and accessories, which could frustrate tinkerers who prefer open systems.
    — PC Magazine, 24 Oct. 2025
  • Hollins is a very cheap way to get a piece of Drake Maye, who has been great but is in an offense designed to frustrate fantasy managers.
    — Michael Salfino, New York Times, 28 Oct. 2025
  • With an exciting mix of experience and youth, Paraguay will look to control the pace and frustrate Uruguay's rhythm.
    — Kilty Cleary, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 June 2025
  • That appeared to frustrate committee members, who accused the sheriff of deflecting blame.
    — Mary Ramsey, Charlotte Observer, 11 Feb. 2026
  • Simple things, like the volume on his teacher’s screen being too low, or having to use the web chat function on the live feed to ask questions during class, frustrate him daily.
    — Sofi Zeman, Kansas City Star, 6 May 2025
  • Emotional urges frustrate important dialogues as the moon and Mercury clash.
    — Usa Today, USA Today, 3 June 2025
  • Keeping interest rates high, for example, could slow the economy and frustrate politicians looking to please voters.
    — Stan Choe, Chicago Tribune, 2 Jan. 2026
  • Such systems are reactive, slow and often generate false positives that frustrate customers and drain resources.
    — John Rubinetti, Forbes.com, 4 Sep. 2025
  • Few things frustrate internet users more than losing connection, being watched online or dealing with censorship.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 16 July 2025
  • Delays frustrate tenants and chip away at your credibility, which is why something good enough done tomorrow is better than something perfect two weeks or a month from now.
    — Cory Albert, Forbes.com, 31 July 2025
  • The second powerful storm is likely to delay and frustrate recovery efforts after Kalmaegi left a swathe of devastation in its wake.
    — Hannah Parry, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Nov. 2025
  • Unique business models provide funding for further improvement and frustrate incumbent response.
    — Scott D. Anthony, Fortune, 29 Nov. 2025
  • And these measures are often used as a last resort to protect companies’ profits, market share, and monopoly rights — not to mention frustrate generic competition.
    — Winnie Byanyima, STAT, 21 Oct. 2022
  • Executives must understand that technology adding friction to clinical workflows does more than just frustrate physicians.
    — Bashir Agboola, Forbes.com, 8 May 2026
  • Traditional chatbots frustrate customers, and existing AI agent solutions are complex to set up and manage.
    — Dasha Shunina, Forbes.com, 4 Sep. 2025
  • But her refusal to address the turmoil may only further frustrate conservative influencers who have been calling for transparency and accountability over the wealthy financier’s case.
    — Alanna Durkin Richer, Chicago Tribune, 15 July 2025
  • That imperative meant using the United Kingdom’s wealth and manpower to build coalitions with like-minded states to frustrate would-be European hegemons.
    — David Reynolds, Foreign Affairs, 8 May 2020
  • There are a few common barriers to execution that frustrate workers, and even now - two decades into the digital transformation - countless enterprises still struggle to overcome them.
    — Andrew Filev, Forbes, 18 Mar. 2021
  • Annual review cycles that delay feedback frustrate employees who thrive on continuous calibration.
    — Allbusiness, Forbes.com, 18 July 2025
  • Financial limitations frustrate desires as Venus triggers Saturn.
    — Usa Today, USA Today, 20 Dec. 2025
  • Noem’s minions would defy and frustrate federal judges seeking basic information from DHS about the department’s compliance with court orders.
    — Clarence Page, Chicago Tribune, 8 Mar. 2026
  • Imagine a Fortune 500 company streamlining its cloud operations, only to face slowdowns during peak demand that frustrate customers.
    — Gaurav Mehta, Forbes.com, 18 June 2025

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'frustrate.' 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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