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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of persecute
We have been persecuted, exiled, shunned and murdered, simply for our beliefs.
—
Jessica Tzikas, Sun Sentinel, 10 July 2025
The European Union has spent millions to help secure the return of wolf populations that for generations were persecuted through hunting and poison baits.
—Ruth Sherlock, NPR, 9 July 2025
An immigration judge determined that he would likely be persecuted or tortured if deported to Guatemala again, and granted him an order protecting him from removal.
—Solcyré Burga, Time, 25 June 2025
There may be no animal that has been more revered and reviled, romanticized and persecuted, adopted and murdered than the coyote.
—Helen Whybrow
july 7, Literary Hub, 7 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for persecute
Jessica Tzikas, Sun Sentinel, 10 July 2025
The European Union has spent millions to help secure the return of wolf populations that for generations were persecuted through hunting and poison baits.
—Ruth Sherlock, NPR, 9 July 2025
An immigration judge determined that he would likely be persecuted or tortured if deported to Guatemala again, and granted him an order protecting him from removal.
—Solcyré Burga, Time, 25 June 2025
There may be no animal that has been more revered and reviled, romanticized and persecuted, adopted and murdered than the coyote.
—Helen Whybrow
july 7, Literary Hub, 7 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for persecute
Recent Examples of Synonyms for persecute
Verb
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Mohammad Omar had been plagued with medical problems since birth.—
Li-Lian Ahlskog Hou,
CNN Money,
22 July 2025
-
That’s the kind of problem that leads to the rodent Rose Parade that’s plagued other restaurants on this street.—
David J. Neal,
Miami Herald,
21 July 2025
Verb
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That acquisition annoyed shareholders and customers alike, with investors taking issue with the fact that it was structured to avoid a vote.—
Glenn Taylor,
Sourcing Journal,
25 July 2025
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However, in addition to the controversy over self-grading the results, OpenAI also annoyed the IMO community because its Saturday announcement appears to have violated the embargo agreement with the International Mathematical Olympiad.—
Benj Edwards,
ArsTechnica,
21 July 2025
Verb
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The price transparency problem afflicting hospitals exemplifies the problem.—
Wayne Winegarden,
Forbes.com,
22 July 2025
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Her brother Aaron, afflicted with the same condition, had passed away in 2019.—
David Epstein,
ProPublica,
18 July 2025
Verb
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But one aspect of his robberies bothers him to this day.—
Faith Karimi,
CNN Money,
26 July 2025
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This means that some people might not bother using them.—
Ben Coxworth
July 26,
New Atlas,
26 July 2025
Verb
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Luis Leon, who received political asylum in the United States in 1987 after being tortured under Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet's regime, misplaced his wallet that held his legal residency card, according to Allentown, Pennsylvania, newspaper The Morning Call.—
Billal Rahman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
21 July 2025
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Editor’s Pick From assassination plots to torture programs, the agency’s darkest operations have always been at the President’s behest.—
Kyle Chayka,
New Yorker,
16 July 2025
Verb
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It was heard, and irritating, in all places at all times.—
Jody Mamone,
Hartford Courant,
25 July 2025
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For Wiles and other top aides, winning in the midterms is crucial — more crucial than publicly flaming a lawmaker who has a history of irritating Trump.—
Burgess Everett,
semafor.com,
23 July 2025
Verb
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Today, some 30,000 Druze and Christians are besieged—without water, electricity, food, or medicine.—
Nuri Kino,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 July 2025
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Khader returned to Jenin briefly in December, smuggled in by friends while the camp was besieged by the Palestinian Authority’s security forces in coördination with the Israeli military, as part of a crackdown on armed fighters.—
M. Z. Adnan,
New Yorker,
20 July 2025
Verb
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That question also bugs the folks at The Utility Reform Network.—
Teri Sforza,
Oc Register,
31 July 2025
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Advertisement Advertisement Code of Silence (BritBox) In this UK drama, police tracking a criminal organization that meets in locations that can’t be bugged recruit a deaf canteen employee, Alison Brooks (Rose Ayling-Ellis), to read suspects’ lips in surveillance videos.—
Judy Berman,
Time,
30 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Persecute.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/persecute. Accessed 5 Aug. 2025.
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