touch/strike/hit a (raw) nerve
to upset someone:
The newspaper article touched a raw nerve - people still resent the closure of the local school.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Causing feelings of anger and displeasure
- aggravate
- aggrieve
- alienate
- anger
- annoy
- burn
- give sb the shits idiom
- go too far idiom
- goat
- grate
- hack
- hack sb off
- nose
- ruffle
- ruffle sb's feathers idiom
- set sb's teeth on edge idiom
- step/tread on sb's toes idiom
- stick in sb's craw idiom
- tee
- toe
See more results »