RUBBED THE WRONG WAY is an idiom that means to be annoyed or angered by someone or something. The crossword solutions for this term are ABRADED (7 letters), CHAFED (6 letters), RILED (5 letters), IRRITATED (9 letters), IRKED (5 letters), IRED (4 letters), GRATED (6 letters), NETTLED (7 letters), and OFFENDED (8 letters). All of these words describe a feeling of being upset or provoked, and they can be used to express the same sentiment as the phrase 'rubbed the wrong way'.