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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So while so much of this matchup is strength versus strength, what might matter most is which team’s weakness plagues them the least.—
Daniel Popper,
New York Times,
9 Jan. 2026
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Cinnamon has been widely touted as a cure-all for anything that plagues the garden.—
Paul Cappiello,
Louisville Courier Journal,
12 Dec. 2025
Verb
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And as the university mourns Ward’s death, Self helped to put the win in perspective.—
Anna Lazarus Caplan,
PEOPLE,
7 Jan. 2026
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The rugged dive bar with more than 70 years of history was destroyed in the Eaton fire, and the community still mourns it.—
Stephanie Breijo,
Los Angeles Times,
31 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Furthermore, regulatory sclerosis afflicts housing and infrastructure.—
Veronique De Rugy,
Oc Register,
25 Dec. 2025
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Violence provided a solution but also birthed the recurring dilemma that afflicts African states today.—
Foreign Affairs,
Foreign Affairs,
16 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Bonds signs some autographs, then takes a seat on the bench in the Giants dugout next to his mother, puts his head in his hands, and sighs.—
Jeremy Collins,
The Atlantic,
12 Dec. 2025
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As the New York Rangers poured goal after goal into the Nashville Predators’ net Monday, fans and players let out not only cheers but also sighs of relief.—
Peter Baugh,
New York Times,
11 Nov. 2025
Verb
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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
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The mistake tortures them, which prompts the couple to try and solve the mystery by producing a fake play in an attempt to get their ex-neighbor Mary (Chloe Cherry) to audition.—
Christian Zilko,
IndieWire,
3 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Seasonal influenza, also known as the flu, is an illness that causes fever, headache, fatigue, cough, sore throat, nasal congestion and body aches, according to the CDC.—
Isa Almeida,
Oklahoman,
13 Jan. 2026
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Caffeine is dehydrating and could make body aches worse.—
Cristina Mutchler,
Verywell Health,
12 Jan. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Agonizes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/agonizes. Accessed 17 Jan. 2026.
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