as in harassment
something that causes mental distress
The media's constant persecution was beginning to affect their lives.
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Recent Examples of persecution
The persecution worsened more than a decade ago during uprisings that remade the Middle East by toppling dictators — including Egyptian strongman Hosni Mubarak — but in some places spiraled into civil war.
—
Hannah Allam, ProPublica, 10 Sep. 2025
More Christians are killed for their faith in Nigeria than in the rest of the world combined, according to human rights organization Open Doors, which monitors the persecution of Christians around the globe.
—Marni Rose McFall, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Sep. 2025
The censorship of independent media, the de facto ban on YouTube and the persecution of journalists, artists, and researchers adds to the repression.
—Yegor Mostovshikov, The Dial, 9 Sep. 2025
Soliman moved to the United States in 2014 after escaping torture and persecution from the Egyptian government for his work assisting journalists to cover pro-democracy movements, his supporters have said.
—Victoria Moorwood, Cincinnati Enquirer, 5 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for persecution
Hannah Allam, ProPublica, 10 Sep. 2025
More Christians are killed for their faith in Nigeria than in the rest of the world combined, according to human rights organization Open Doors, which monitors the persecution of Christians around the globe.
—Marni Rose McFall, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Sep. 2025
The censorship of independent media, the de facto ban on YouTube and the persecution of journalists, artists, and researchers adds to the repression.
—Yegor Mostovshikov, The Dial, 9 Sep. 2025
Soliman moved to the United States in 2014 after escaping torture and persecution from the Egyptian government for his work assisting journalists to cover pro-democracy movements, his supporters have said.
—Victoria Moorwood, Cincinnati Enquirer, 5 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for persecution
Recent Examples of Synonyms for persecution
Noun
-
The alleged harassment took place over the course of about 17 months, from February 2024 to July 2025, the Star-Telegram previously reported.—
Lillie Davidson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
10 Sep. 2025
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Lisa Nandy has voiced her disapproval at major TV players declining to pay annual fees to the UK industry’s new independent bullying and harassment complaints body.—
Jake Kanter,
Deadline,
10 Sep. 2025
Noun
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But the anger and radicalization have to be managed by Democratic leaders, if not for the sake of the country, then at least to avoid a political backlash.—
W. James Antle III,
The Washington Examiner,
12 Sep. 2025
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Burning anti-establishment anger helped lay the path for his successful 2018 presidential run, with dozens of far-right and conservative lawmakers elected on his coattails.—
Ricardo Brito,
USA Today,
11 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
This is the same lineup, full of younger and mostly unproven players, that has kept the Rangers on the fringe of the wild card spot, a point of irritation among fans.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
8 Sep. 2025
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But this line limiter didn’t bleed into my eyes or cause any irritation whatsoever.—
Jessie Quinn,
Flow Space,
8 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Persecution.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/persecution. Accessed 15 Sep. 2025.
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