BEDEVIL Synonyms: 91 Similar and Opposite Words

bedevil

verb

bi-ˈde-vəl

Definition of bedevil

as in to afflict

to cause persistent suffering to a lingering cold bedeviled me for over a month

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of bedevil The team’s dramas coincided with years of wider chaos in the country, as cycles of hyperinflation and bailouts bedevilled its economy. — Ishaan Tharoor, New Yorker, 16 July 2026 Moreover, the next stage of negotiations will have to confront more long-standing territorial and political disputes that have bedeviled regional peace. — Anthony Wanis-St John, The Conversation, 10 July 2026 Indeed, Ukrainian strikes on oil infrastructure have created major gas shortages that are bedeviling much of the Russian hinterland. — Phillips Payson O’Brien, The Atlantic, 30 June 2026 Algae blooms have long bedeviled the DC landmark, though the one that broke out in the wake of the renovations appears to have reduced. — James Powel, USA Today, 28 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for bedevil

Recent Examples of Synonyms for bedevil

Verb

Engineers have also taken steps to ensure that a CFT-like thruster anomaly doesn't afflict future Starliner flights.

— Mike Wall, Space.com, 28 Sep. 2026
While the epicenter was located in Nantou County in central Taiwan, serious damage afflicted residents across the island as roads buckled, bridges collapsed and landslides destroyed everything in their path.

— Desiree Anello, PEOPLE, 21 Sep. 2026

Definition of afflict

Verb

Walker, who leads the NFL with 360 rushing yards, also is adept at avoiding an issue that plagues many ball carriers and receivers in the NFL.

— Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 30 Sep. 2026
The report found that extreme overcrowding and abuse plagued the facilities.

— Syra Ortiz Blanes, Miami Herald, 30 Sep. 2026

Definition of plague

Verb

Those governments provide assurances that people won’t be persecuted or tortured, federal attorneys said.

— Lindsay Whitehurst, Los Angeles Times, 29 Sep. 2026
Also, some immigration cases involve people seeking asylum because they are being persecuted by a foreign government and releasing a person’s full name could be considered sensitive or even dangerous.

— Laura Tillman, Hartford Courant, 11 Sep. 2026

Definition of persecute

Verb

In recent months, Israeli settlers have repeatedly besieged the village of Qusra, defying orders from the authorities to leave the area and trying to force Palestinian families, some of whom are also American citizens, out.

— Oren Liebermann, CNN Money, 30 Aug. 2026
There has been a spate of Israeli settler violence in the West Bank, and the village of Qusra has been besieged by Israeli settlers for weeks.

— F. Brinley Bruton, NBC news, 29 Aug. 2026

Definition of besiege

Browse Nearby Words

bedecks

bedevil

bedeviled

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“Bedevil.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bedevil. Accessed 2 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of bedevil

verb

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