1
as in plaguing
to cause persistent suffering to
she was anguished by the fear that her sons would die in the war
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in grieving
to feel deep sadness or mental pain
I anguished over the loss of my father for years afterwards
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for anguishing
Verb
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Or why this situation remains indicative of bigger issues plaguing our country, then and now?—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
6 Sep. 2025 -
While the problems plaguing humanity — from political strife to poverty to natural disasters — might seem overwhelming, Dorantes said the property’s history illustrates how much the world can actually change.—
Angie Leventis Lourgos,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The longtime pastor of Korumburra Baptist Church also thanked the prosecutors, medical staff, and members of the community who’d reached out to support his grieving family.—
Hilary Whiteman,
CNN Money,
8 Sep. 2025
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In this sequel to The Ice Road that trades Canadian ice flats for cliff-edge drop-offs and hairpin passes, Neeson’s grieving character Mike McCann heads to the Himalayas to scatter his brother’s ashes.—
Travis Bean,
Forbes.com,
6 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Those who dismissed intersectionality saw such policies as little more than allowing the disadvantaged to commit crimes without consequences to make up for past inequities, afflicting crime victims from the same disadvantaged communities.—
John Scott Lewinski,
The Washington Examiner,
5 Sep. 2025
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Americans live shorter lives than their European equivalents, McClatchy News reported in April, but the trend of stagnant life expectancy appears to be afflicting European nations the same, according to the study.—
Irene Wright,
Miami Herald,
2 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Korean maestro Park Chan-wook’s wildly inventive black comedy No Other Choice was possibly the festival favorite with critics, while Yorgos Lanthimos’ bonkers Bugonia and Sorrentino’s aching La Grazia were also celebrated as exquisite returns to form.—
Patrick Brzeski,
HollywoodReporter,
6 Sep. 2025
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Her endlessly inventive vocal approach and aching tenderness with ballads earned her a National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Master designation in 2012.—
Duante Beddingfield,
Freep.com,
5 Sep. 2025
Verb
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For 25 years, Chavism has co-opted Venezuela's infrastructure for its own enrichment, persecuting journalists and opposition, wrecking the economy, and leaving its citizens in poverty.—
Kristina Foltz,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Sep. 2025
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In July, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for two of the Taliban’s top leaders, accusing them of persecuting women and girls in Afghanistan, which the group dismissed.—
Astha Rajvanshi,
NBC news,
5 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Donatella Versace, Milan’s mayor Giuseppe Sala and film directors Gabriele Salvatores and Giuseppe Tornatore were also among the crowds of people mourning.—
Leah Dolan,
CNN Money,
8 Sep. 2025
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Drake White and his wife are mourning the death of their baby daughter, who died minutes after being born.—
Saman Shafiq,
USA Today,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Jamie Simpson of Covington was sentenced in March to 60 years in prison for holding his wife captive and torturing her for hours before barricading himself inside her home in a lengthy standoff with police.—
Quinlan Bentley,
The Enquirer,
3 Sep. 2025
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Emmett was just 14 when he was kidnapped from his great-uncle’s house by two White men who later admitted to beating and torturing the teen before shooting him in the head and throwing his body into the Tallahatchie River, weighed down by a 75-pound cotton gin fan.—
Rebekah Riess,
CNN Money,
31 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Cali gave her friend a look before sighing and pulling off I-10.—
Bryan Washington,
New Yorker,
7 Sep. 2025
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And while many might be reluctant to close the time capsule door on their beloved skinnies, some of us are sighing with relief that the current denim trend is comfy enough for travel.—
Olivia Young,
Travel + Leisure,
3 Sep. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Anguishing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/anguishing. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.
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