Tartarus

noun

Definition of Tartarusnext
as in underworld

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for Tartarus
  1. underworld
  2. netherworld
  3. inferno
  4. Sheol
  5. hades
  6. purgatory
Noun
  • Blending crime fiction with social satire, the series follows Ray Carney, a furniture salesman who can’t help but be drawn into the criminal underworld of Harlem.
    — Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 31 July 2026
  • The series’ blend of soapy melodramatics and rough-and-tumble underworld menace will be familiar to anybody who has watched Power, but Power and its spinoffs have always been confident in their only-for-adults depictions of adults-only situations.
    — Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 30 July 2026
Definition of underworld
Noun
  • Alistair Taylor’s reward for accompanying him into this teenage netherworld was to be given lunch at his current favorite city-center restaurant, the Peacock.
    — Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 18 June 2026
  • The rules of this netherworld announce themselves, early on, via a nondescript wall sign.
    — Justin Chang, New Yorker, 10 Apr. 2026
Definition of netherworld
Noun
  • The blaze was far smaller than a vast inferno that has swept up the Bordeaux region in southwestern France in recent days.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 30 July 2026
  • The soaring temperatures have caused raging infernos across southern France and Spain, with European wildfires burning through 56% more land than in prior years.
    — Oliver Balch, Fortune, 27 July 2026
Definition of inferno
Noun
  • The soul is the same one that ancient Egyptians called the ka, or that God promises the psalmist will be rescued from Sheol, or that lay dormant in the minds of so many contemporary American readers, waiting for the right sound to set it free.
    — Christian Wiman, Harper's Magazine, 2 Aug. 2024
Definition of Sheol
Noun
  • Persephone, goddess of spring and the fields, became the spouse of Hades, who ruled the underworld.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 18 May 2026
  • Michael Lorenzen and Coors Field look like a match made in Hades.
    — Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 16 May 2026
Definition of hades
Noun
  • The Heat has not been on top since then, and, after four straight seasons in play-in purgatory, counted on James’ return to help end that drought.
    — Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 24 July 2026
  • If Jones, who’s on track to start in Week 1, can’t stay healthy again or his hot start from last year proves to be a fluke, then the Colts’ cycle of quarterback purgatory continues.
    — The Athletic NFL Staff, New York Times, 20 July 2026
Definition of purgatory
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.

Browse Nearby Words

Tartarean
Tartarus
tartish
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Cite this Entry

“Tartarus.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/Tartarus. Accessed 6 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on Tartarus

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about Tartarus

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