bedevil

verb

bi-ˈde-vəl How to pronounce bedevil (audio)
Definition of bedevilnext
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 Injuries tend to be random, so Motley hopes the assortment of knee, ankle and foot concerns that have bedeviled him are squarely in the past. — Patrick Z. McGavin, Chicago Tribune, 8 Oct. 2026 The same dilemmas bedeviling the Abraham Lincoln have always gnawed at the core morale of every naval vessel that’s ever departed on a lengthy cruise beyond its homeport’s horizon. — Roger Archibald, Denver Post, 7 Oct. 2026 Injuries continue to bedevil Brown, who permitted both passes against him to be caught (for 14 yards) in his limited work against Clemson. — Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 5 Oct. 2026 Recent escalations in the war in Iran, including an attack on a major pipeline in Saudi Arabia, mean the rising gas prices bedeviling Republicans will not be going down anytime soon. — Dan Merica, Washington Post, 18 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for bedevil
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bedevil
  1. afflict
  2. plague
  3. persecute
  4. besiege
  5. beset
Verb
  • Speaking to Variety ahead of the market, Mackinnon says the show takes its title from the chronic burnout that afflicts emergency workers on the job.
    — Christopher Vourlias, Variety, 20 Oct. 2026
  • On screen, Guitarrica’s expressive and angular visage conveys the fright and uncertainty that afflict his character, who is desperate for tenderness.
    — Carlos Aguilar, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of afflict
Verb
  • Deloitte-run systems have been plagued by errors that can result in eligible people losing their health coverage, previous KFF Health News investigations have shown.
    — Samantha Liss, CBS News, 20 Oct. 2026
  • The president used an antisemitic slur to defend Marshall’s history of suing patients for medical debt, a controversy that has plagued the incumbent senator in recent weeks.
    — Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 20 Oct. 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
  • French cities have been shaken in recent weeks by vandalism and looting sparked by cost-of-living demonstrations, amid a broader crisis besieging the country’s lame-duck centrist government that has spiked French bond yields.
    — Brendan Ruberry, semafor.com, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Mehra – director of 2016 pic Baar Baar Dekho and creator of Prime Video series Big Girls Don’t Cry – says that while Indian audiences are besieged by films and TV content right now, where Hunkkaar has cut through is in its subject matter.
    — Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of besiege
Verb
  • In June, the district attorney’s office filed public nuisance lawsuits intended to shut down two motels, Super 7 Inn and Delux Inn, on South Freeway in Fort Worth that are beset by crime.
    — Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 Oct. 2026
  • The director general was attempting to lift the gloom after being beset with questions from anxious employees about job losses, service reductions, and general retrenchment.
    — Max Goldbart, Deadline, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of beset

Browse Nearby Words

bedecks
bedevil
bedeviled
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Cite this Entry

“Bedevil.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bedevil. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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