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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of agonize
Choosing death was agonizing enough, but Ms. Demontigny had to declare, in precise details, the circumstances under which the lethal dose would be administered.
—
Renaud Philippe, New York Times, 25 Feb. 2025
But members don’t just agonize over their posts and DM etiquette to avoid getting ghosted.
—Violet Piper, Curbed, 28 Jan. 2025
Certainly any commuter clenching his or her teeth traveling on Highway 101 through Silicon Valley or agonizing along the 405 Freeway in Los Angeles won’t complain the state has too few occupants.
—Mark Z. Barabak, The Mercury News, 21 Jan. 2025
Some news organizations have agonized over whether to carry Mr. Trump — and his penchant for falsehoods — live on air.
—Benjamin Mullin, New York Times, 23 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for agonize
Renaud Philippe, New York Times, 25 Feb. 2025
But members don’t just agonize over their posts and DM etiquette to avoid getting ghosted.
—Violet Piper, Curbed, 28 Jan. 2025
Certainly any commuter clenching his or her teeth traveling on Highway 101 through Silicon Valley or agonizing along the 405 Freeway in Los Angeles won’t complain the state has too few occupants.
—Mark Z. Barabak, The Mercury News, 21 Jan. 2025
Some news organizations have agonized over whether to carry Mr. Trump — and his penchant for falsehoods — live on air.
—Benjamin Mullin, New York Times, 23 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for agonize
Recent Examples of Synonyms for agonize
Verb
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In a video posted to his Truth Social platform in December 2023, Trump accused the FBI and DOJ of sending undercover spies to churches to persecute people of faith.—
Ross Rosenfeld,
MSNBC Newsweek,
23 Apr. 2025
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The statement concluded with an expression of solidarity with Christians who are persecuted.—
Chloe Breyer,
New York Daily News,
21 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Out West in Colorado, mourners grieved not only the passing of a spiritual guide but for a leader who was deeply engaged with the world's most urgent issues.—
Juliana Kim,
NPR,
21 Apr. 2025
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Scammers have been known to impersonate the deceased to exploit grieving friends and family.—
Kurt Knutsson, CyberGuy Report,
FOXNews.com,
21 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Puerto Rico is frequently plagued by power outages, with the most recent island-wide event on New Year's Eve taking days to resolve.—
Taylor Ardrey,
USA Today,
18 Apr. 2025
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Now a depth arm in the organization who was called up from triple-A Oklahoma City for a spot start Wednesday, Miller’s first MLB outing of 2025 mirrored the struggles that plagued him over the rest of 2024.—
Houston Mitchell,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Apr. 2025
Verb
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The pontiff, who died of a stroke on Monday, April 21, was mourned and celebrated with a Mass in the square outside St. Peter's Basilica, as is tradition.—
Adam Carlson,
People.com,
26 Apr. 2025
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Pope Francis' funeral will see President Donald Trump and other world leaders converge on Rome as the Catholic Church mourns the head of the Holy See.—
Anthony Robledo,
USA Today,
26 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Protectionists presented tariffs as the essential policy to quicken the development of manufactures as well as a remedy to the social ills that afflicted the emerging industrial working class.—
Made by History,
Time,
28 Apr. 2025
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But the malady afflicting much of the Dodgers lineup seems to have infected the third baseman with a particularly virulent strain.—
Steve Henson,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Warm baths, heating pads, or warm socks can comfort aching feet.—
Sarah Jividen,
Verywell Health,
22 Apr. 2025
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My heart aches for those who knew and loved Gabriela, Florinda, and Jeanette, as well as the additional victim, and are now in mourning this Easter weekend.—
Sean Krofssik,
Hartford Courant,
21 Apr. 2025
Verb
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The Court's ruling requires DHS to provide basic procedural protections so that persons are not secretly removed to a country where they may be persecuted or tortured.—
Nicholas Creel,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 Apr. 2025
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Michael Sang Correa was charged with torturing five men believed to be opponents of Yahya Jammeh following an unsuccessful plot to remove him from power in 2006.—
Colleen Slevin,
Denver Post,
15 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Nate sighed dramatically before dipping his chin to his chest.—
Lindsay Schnell,
New York Times,
28 Apr. 2025
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One particularly telling piece of feedback came from a team member who observed that when asked for clarification, Ms. Sharp responded with visible frustration—sighing and rolling her eyes—which made people hesitant to seek guidance.—
Katrina Burrus,
Forbes.com,
22 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Agonize.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/agonize. Accessed 2 May. 2025.
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