1
as in to plague
to cause persistent suffering to
people who were persecuted simply for practicing their religious faith
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to annoy
to disturb the peace of mind of (someone) especially by repeated disagreeable acts
she likes to persecute her sister with pointless, annoying questions at very inopportune times
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of persecute
The Anabaptists were a radical nonconformist sect that took the egalitarian, pacifist, and renunciatory injunctions of the Bible seriously and tried to organize communal living, before being ruthlessly persecuted by the authorities and other Protestant sects.
—
Literary Hub, 25 Mar. 2026
Trump has led that charge, saying Peters was persecuted for her conservative beliefs and pressing Polis — on numerous occasions over the course of months — to release her.
—Mike Lillis, The Hill, 22 Mar. 2026
An immigration judge has previously found that she would be persecuted by the Israeli government if she was removed there.
—Kristie Keleshian, CBS News, 22 Mar. 2026
Some had been granted the opportunity to stay after proving to immigration judges that they would probably be persecuted if returned to their homeland.
—Kate Linthicum, Los Angeles Times, 21 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for persecute
Literary Hub, 25 Mar. 2026
Trump has led that charge, saying Peters was persecuted for her conservative beliefs and pressing Polis — on numerous occasions over the course of months — to release her.
—Mike Lillis, The Hill, 22 Mar. 2026
An immigration judge has previously found that she would be persecuted by the Israeli government if she was removed there.
—Kristie Keleshian, CBS News, 22 Mar. 2026
Some had been granted the opportunity to stay after proving to immigration judges that they would probably be persecuted if returned to their homeland.
—Kate Linthicum, Los Angeles Times, 21 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for persecute
Recent Examples of Synonyms for persecute
Verb
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But the Cubs’ offensive woes plagued them more than a misthrow from their reliever.—
Andy Martinez,
Chicago Tribune,
11 Apr. 2026
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By the same token, one of the biggest bugs plaguing AMC’s The Audacity may be the timing.—
Angie Han,
HollywoodReporter,
10 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Black also appeared as a frustrated office worker trying to get a co-worker (Ashley Padilla) to stop talking to him and others annoyed by the woman.—
Omar L. Gallaga,
Los Angeles Times,
5 Apr. 2026
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Unless you’re annoyed at paying the junior engineers $300,000 a year straight out of school.—
Charlie Warzel,
The Atlantic,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
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It is usually only afflicted by slugs, which can be easily managed, or crown rot due to overwatering.—
Natalia Gonzalez Blanco Serrano,
The Spruce,
5 Apr. 2026
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In the months following surgery, many women are afflicted by post-mastectomy pain syndrome, or PMPS, which spans from uncomfortable to disabling and can last years.—
Brett Kelman,
USA Today,
4 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The Heat’s third matchup of the season against the Raptors didn’t go well either, as Toronto’s length on the defensive end again bothered Miami.—
Anthony Chiang,
Miami Herald,
8 Apr. 2026
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Along the way, Melton strained his left thumb — and that clearly bothered him.—
Ron Kroichick,
San Francisco Chronicle,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Countless thousands were displaced, tortured and killed, but what became of Gerson and Inlender’s ancestors?—
Marc Weingarten,
Los Angeles Times,
4 Apr. 2026
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The house of another, Carlotta Walls, was bombed a month before her graduation, and the police subsequently tortured her father in an unsuccessful attempt to coerce a confession.—
Daniel Felsenthal,
Pitchfork,
4 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Strong cleaning products may irritate sensitive airways and skin.—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Sacbee.com,
11 Apr. 2026
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Oklahoma City is irritating, but never stops winning.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
10 Apr. 2026
Verb
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In a similar vein, the Business section featured an article on our inequitable national tax structure, which enables the wealthy to grow their wealth while most people, besieged by income taxes and rising property taxes, struggle.—
DP Opinion,
Denver Post,
10 Apr. 2026
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Early on, the Biden team had been besieged with desperate pleas to ship more of the then scarce vaccine.—
David Blumenthal,
STAT,
24 Mar. 2026
Verb
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This sense of solidarity extends into the rose garden, where a dozen or so common pests show up year after year — some in spring, some in summer, and some persist and bug our roses (and us) throughout the year.—
Rita Perwich,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
4 Apr. 2026
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Chandler Zavala has been fighting the injury bug his whole career.—
Alex Zietlow,
Charlotte Observer,
30 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Persecute.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/persecute. Accessed 13 Apr. 2026.
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