crucify
verb
cru·ci·fy
ˈkrü-sə-ˌfī 
crucified; crucifying
1
: to put to death by nailing or binding the wrists or hands and feet to a cross
2
: to destroy the power of : mortify
crucify the flesh
3
a
: to treat cruelly : torment
b
: pillory sense 2
crucified in the press
Examples of crucify in a Sentence
They crucified her in the newspapers for having an affair.
Recent Examples on the Web
Thursday’s liturgy recalls the foot-washing Jesus performed on his 12 apostles at The Last Supper together before he was crucified.
—
Tess Kenny, Chicago Tribune, 3 Apr. 2026
Good Friday is a day to recognize the brutality of the Roman practice of crucifying criminals and to reflect with sincerity on the sacrifice Jesus Christ made for the world.
—Nicole Russell, USA Today, 2 Apr. 2026
Life-sized statues of Jesus crucified, the weeping Virgin Mary, and representations of scenes from the Gospels’ accounts of Jesus' torture and death on a cross are carried in large processions in different parts of the world.
—ABC News, 1 Apr. 2026
Christians recognize Good Friday as the day Jesus Christ was crucified, died and was buried in a tomb.
—Jose R. Gonzalez, AZCentral.com, 1 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for crucify
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Tess Kenny, Chicago Tribune, 3 Apr. 2026
Good Friday is a day to recognize the brutality of the Roman practice of crucifying criminals and to reflect with sincerity on the sacrifice Jesus Christ made for the world.
—Nicole Russell, USA Today, 2 Apr. 2026
Life-sized statues of Jesus crucified, the weeping Virgin Mary, and representations of scenes from the Gospels’ accounts of Jesus' torture and death on a cross are carried in large processions in different parts of the world.
—ABC News, 1 Apr. 2026
Christians recognize Good Friday as the day Jesus Christ was crucified, died and was buried in a tomb.
—Jose R. Gonzalez, AZCentral.com, 1 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for crucify
Cite this Entry
“Crucify.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/crucify. Accessed 4 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
crucify
verb
cru·ci·fy
ˈkrü-sə-ˌfī
crucified; crucifying
1
: to put to death by nailing or binding the hands and feet to a cross
Etymology
Middle English crucifien "to crucify," from early French crucifier (same meaning), from Latin crucifigere "to crucify," from cruc-, crux "cross" and figere "to fasten, fix" — related to cross, crucifix, excruciating, fix
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