avenge

verb

avenged; avenging

transitive verb

1
: to take vengeance for or on behalf of
vowed to avenge their murdered father
2
: to exact satisfaction for (a wrong) by punishing the wrongdoer
was determined to avenge the assault
avenger noun

Examples of avenge in a Sentence

The brothers vowed to avenge the death of their father. They vowed to avenge their father by capturing and punishing his killer.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Redemption While there aren’t many players left from that 2023 team that was upset by Colorado, TCU should still have plenty of motivation to avenge that loss. Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 Oct. 2025 The Detroit Tigers avenged their massive collapse in the American League Central in their playoff matchup against the division champion Cleveland Guardians. Tim Crowley, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Oct. 2025 Plus, Alabama tries to avenge last year’s loss at Vanderbilt, which heads to Tuscaloosa ranked and undefeated. Dan Santaromita, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2025 Edwards and the surviving agents who were part of Haverford’s team spread out to Istanbul, Tehran, and Virginia to avenge their fallen comrades. Demetrius Patterson, HollywoodReporter, 30 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for avenge

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French avenger, from a- (from Latin ad-) + venger to avenge — more at vengeance

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of avenge was in the 14th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Avenge.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/avenge. Accessed 5 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

avenge

verb
avenged; avenging
: to take vengeance for (an action) or on behalf of (a person)
avenger noun

More from Merriam-Webster on avenge

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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