1
as in persecutes
to cause persistent suffering to
got into more trouble, further agonizing her poor mother
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in grieves
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for agonizes
Verb
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In Russia, the civilian repressive apparatus persecutes the military, which leaps at every chance for revenge.—
Stephen Kotkin,
Foreign Affairs,
16 Dec. 2025
Verb
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In an emotional video posted Thursday, Kim thanked supporters for their prayers and asked for privacy as his family grieves.—
Emma Bussey,
FOXNews.com,
2 Jan. 2026
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Neytiri grieves the loss of her home and her tribe and resents Jake for it.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
16 Dec. 2025
Verb
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The damned disease especially plagues Mexican American men like me, and many aren’t getting screened.—
Gustavo Arellano,
Los Angeles Times,
3 Feb. 2026
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Similarly, programs that encourage regular movement and mental breaks help mitigate the burnout that often plagues high-growth teams.—
Serenity Gibbons,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
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As Hollywood mourns the loss of Catherine O’Hara, one of her Canadian comrades is paying tribute.—
Glenn Garner,
Deadline,
31 Jan. 2026
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Our union mourns his loss and our thoughts are with his family, his union, and his community.—
Paula Wethington,
CBS News,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
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In other words, a sort of onanism of the soul afflicts him.—
Hermione Hoby,
New Yorker,
26 Jan. 2026
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The disease afflicts individuals as well as corporate entities.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
23 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Twice thwarted, Beth sighs, says yes, and gets on with the business of living.—
Inkoo Kang,
New Yorker,
5 Feb. 2026
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The room sighs in relief a second later when Buckley reanimates, jerking and flailing like a soul possessed, grinning maniacally — all on purpose, inspired by the earlier veil snafu.—
Sydney Bucksbaum,
Entertainment Weekly,
3 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The retrospection tortures her.—
Alexandra Rockey Fleming,
PEOPLE,
14 Jan. 2026
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Later, in one of the movie's most satisfying scenes, Millie locks Andrew in the attic and tortures him by loudly smashing each plate.—
Lauren Huff,
Entertainment Weekly,
19 Dec. 2025
Verb
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This loss is unexpected and surreal, and my heart aches… for his family, for his wife, for his children, for his friends, and for all of us who were blessed to know him.—
Christine Imarenezor,
VIBE.com,
15 Jan. 2026
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This loss is unexpected and surreal and my heart aches… for his family, for his wife, for his children, for his friends, and for all of us who were blessed to know him.—
Michael Saponara,
Billboard,
15 Jan. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Agonizes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/agonizes. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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