as in to afflict
to cause persistent suffering to
a lingering cold bedeviled me for over a month
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of bedevil
Even so, a violent curse bedevils them, a sophisticated feat of careful writing and directorial sensitivity that sets Chiarella apart from the gorehounds.
—
Tracy Brown, Los Angeles Times, 14 May 2026
Published in 1978, Tuchman’s history still feels current – there are pandemics, oligarchs, inequality, misinformation campaigns and endless warring, to name a few things that continue to bedevil us.
—Erik Pedersen, Oc Register, 1 May 2026
With the exception of a Russian oil tanker that was allowed to dock in Cuba earlier this month, Washington has maintained a de-facto fuel embargo on the country, exacerbating the extreme energy shortages that bedevil the Cuban population on a daily basis.
—Daniel Depetris, Chicago Tribune, 14 Apr. 2026
Jude isn’t particularly fond of Bucharest, which is traffic-clogged, bedevilled by corruption, and generally exhausting.
—Rebecca Mead, New Yorker, 13 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for bedevil
Tracy Brown, Los Angeles Times, 14 May 2026
Published in 1978, Tuchman’s history still feels current – there are pandemics, oligarchs, inequality, misinformation campaigns and endless warring, to name a few things that continue to bedevil us.
—Erik Pedersen, Oc Register, 1 May 2026
With the exception of a Russian oil tanker that was allowed to dock in Cuba earlier this month, Washington has maintained a de-facto fuel embargo on the country, exacerbating the extreme energy shortages that bedevil the Cuban population on a daily basis.
—Daniel Depetris, Chicago Tribune, 14 Apr. 2026
Jude isn’t particularly fond of Bucharest, which is traffic-clogged, bedevilled by corruption, and generally exhausting.
—Rebecca Mead, New Yorker, 13 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for bedevil
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bedevil
Verb
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Measles is a highly contagious, vaccine-preventable disease caused by a virus that primarily and most severely afflicts children.—
Mary Walrath-Holdridge,
USA Today,
8 June 2026
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Joyce said problems that afflict Washington require a deeper, more systematic change.—
Chase Hunter,
Mercury News,
3 June 2026
Verb
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The 31-year-old Andujar has been plagued by various injuries throughout an MLB career that began in 2018.—
Kevin Acee,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
14 June 2026
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Featuring guest star Liza Minnelli as a film noir-style actress whose show is being plagued by a series of murders and Kermit as a Bogart-like ’40s gumshoe, this episode won a special Raven Award from The Mystery Writers of America.—
Damon Wise,
Deadline,
13 June 2026
Verb
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Biden weaponized Law Enforcement against his political opponent, while also persecuting many other innocent people.—
New York Times,
New York Times,
11 June 2026
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It's partially inspired by director Benjamin Christensen's research on the German text Malleus Maleficarum, a guide to witchcraft for inquisitors looking to persecute its perpetrators.—
Wesley Stenzel,
Entertainment Weekly,
5 June 2026
Verb
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The mass shooting that claimed 49 lives and injured dozens of others—the deadliest hate crime targeting LGBTQ+ people in American history—still leaves a grievous mark, most especially in a city, state and nation besieged with new attacks on the gay community.—
R. Daniel Foster,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2026
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In place of the ancient forest was a shorn land besieged by uncontrollable wildfires, prone to land-slides and erosion.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 June 2026
Verb
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Bass was also beset with challenges, being an incumbent in a city beset with problems.—
National Correspondent,
Los Angeles Times,
7 June 2026
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But there's been a spike in attacks in the park related to the armed conflict that's beset the region for more than 30 years.—
Gabrielle Emanuel,
NPR,
6 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bedevil.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bedevil. Accessed 17 Jun. 2026.
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