pain in the neck

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

This isn’t merely a pain in the neck for Mr. Mandelson.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 4, 2026

You and I might translate that as: "The saga over Angela's tax was a total pain in the neck, but it's given us the excuse to make some of the changes we fancied anyway."

From BBC • Sep. 6, 2025

Dr. Sollmann pointed out that non-invasive treatment options that directly target the site of pain in the neck muscles could be highly effective and safer than systemic drugs.

From Science Daily • Nov. 29, 2023

It came into being in 1917, when Congress grew weary of having to vote on every proposed bond issuance, which it considered a pain in the neck.

From Los Angeles Times • May 15, 2023

Boys were nothing but a pain in the neck, I mumbled, for my ears and those of the two horses.

From "The Detective's Assistant" by Kate Hannigan