1
as in to persecute
to cause persistent suffering to
got into more trouble, further agonizing her poor mother
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to grieve
to feel deep sadness or mental pain
agonized for days over whether she'd done the right thing
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of agonize
Some parents on flights agonize over the idea of their young child causing midair disruption.
—
Jack Beresford, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 May 2025
Worse, Liu’s one-dimensional moll spends the majority of her supporting screen time agonizing over toxic men, despite the actor’s best efforts to elevate the material.
—Courtney Howard, Variety, 20 Feb. 2025
The only person with anything resembling nuance of complexity is Caleb, the white cop who agonizes over having pulled the trigger.
—Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 20 Mar. 2025
Organizations often spend too much time agonizing over how to articulate and execute the perfect AI strategy.
—Clint Boulton, Forbes, 25 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for agonize
Jack Beresford, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 May 2025
Worse, Liu’s one-dimensional moll spends the majority of her supporting screen time agonizing over toxic men, despite the actor’s best efforts to elevate the material.
—Courtney Howard, Variety, 20 Feb. 2025
The only person with anything resembling nuance of complexity is Caleb, the white cop who agonizes over having pulled the trigger.
—Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 20 Mar. 2025
Organizations often spend too much time agonizing over how to articulate and execute the perfect AI strategy.
—Clint Boulton, Forbes, 25 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for agonize
Recent Examples of Synonyms for agonize
Verb
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Leopoldo chose to be the voice of the people who elected him, and was persecuted for it.—
Imamu "Mu" Tomlinson,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2025
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After being persecuted for the nature of her work, the political scientist arrived to the U.S. in 2022 on a visa.—
Nicole Acevedo,
NBC news,
27 May 2025
Verb
-
See how these teens are grieving — and healing — together.—
Elizabeth Robinson,
NBC news,
29 May 2025
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You are allowed to grieve the version of love that existed uniquely between the two of you.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
26 May 2025
Verb
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But visa issues may plague the lead-up to the event — and not just for athletes but the vast Olympics ecosystem, from coaches and families to sponsors and vendors to, of course, attendees.—
Gary Baum,
HollywoodReporter,
5 June 2025
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The wallet aims to solve cross-border payment challenges that have long plagued African creators.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
5 June 2025
Verb
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But while friends and family of the teen mourned her premature death, anti-trans commentators on X turned Fosgate’s last posts into an whirlwind of transphobia — misgendering her, mocking her, and celebrating her family’s loss.—
CT Jones,
Rolling Stone,
31 May 2025
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Mahaffey's husband, actor and director Joseph Kell, mourned her death in a statement to EW.—
Wesley Stenzel,
EW.com,
31 May 2025
Verb
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Violent crime, meanwhile, is a scourge afflicting every community.—
Sizwe Mpofu Walsh,
Time,
23 May 2025
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Cucumbers are also susceptible to powdery mildew, a problem that afflicts many zinnias.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
22 May 2025
Verb
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Can Joe hoist his aching knees and weary butt back in the competitive saddle?—
Jeannette Catsoulis,
New York Times,
22 May 2025
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But Kealoha offers Lilo a wellspring of sadness and aching loneliness just beneath the surface of her more impish qualities.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
20 May 2025
Verb
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The footage includes a scene in which a Hitler look-alike is tortured.—
Ryan Gajewski,
HollywoodReporter,
3 June 2025
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Now the man accused of torturing her could be facing a murder charge.—
Chris Spargo,
People.com,
30 May 2025
Verb
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Indoor rowing doesn’t have quite the same charm of being in a skiff on a river (sigh, if only), but the best rowing machine will still give you a great workout right at home.—
Sara Coughlin,
SELF,
23 May 2025
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To preview upcoming album A Matter of Time, the rising singer-composer lets her frustration simmer above sighing harmonies and ornate string arrangements, producing a beautifully mad opening shot.—
Jason Lipshutz,
Billboard,
16 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Agonize.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/agonize. Accessed 12 Jun. 2025.
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