as in to afflict
to cause persistent suffering to
a lingering cold bedeviled me for over a month
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Recent Examples of bedevil
While the volume of orders binding Trump has been unprecedented, nationwide injunctions by individual judges in sympathetic locales have bedeviled the last two Democratic presidents as well.
—
The Editors, National Review, 19 May 2025
But in this primeval stage, nearly all of the potential Democratic candidates are discussing problems that have bedeviled their party for years: how to win back working-class voters, how aggressively to oppose President Trump and how to reach voters beyond the traditional news media.
—Lisa Lerer, New York Times, 18 May 2025
The move is part of a broader attempt to become a leader in generative AI — a field that has bedeviled Apple.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 21 May 2025
Waiting for clarity The lingering uncertainty over Trump’s policies is also bedeviling central bankers who set interest rate policy, affecting the costs on everything from mortgages to credit cards.
—Bryan Mena, CNN Money, 25 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bedevil
The Editors, National Review, 19 May 2025
But in this primeval stage, nearly all of the potential Democratic candidates are discussing problems that have bedeviled their party for years: how to win back working-class voters, how aggressively to oppose President Trump and how to reach voters beyond the traditional news media.
—Lisa Lerer, New York Times, 18 May 2025
The move is part of a broader attempt to become a leader in generative AI — a field that has bedeviled Apple.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 21 May 2025
Waiting for clarity The lingering uncertainty over Trump’s policies is also bedeviling central bankers who set interest rate policy, affecting the costs on everything from mortgages to credit cards.
—Bryan Mena, CNN Money, 25 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bedevil
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bedevil
Verb
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To put it into perspective, the National Organization for Rare Disorders estimates that one person on every elevator and four people on every bus are afflicted.—
Alexis Kayser,
MSNBC Newsweek,
28 June 2025
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Those afflicted with sickle cell disease and their families turned out in support of World Sickle Cell Day at West Oakland’s DeFremery Park on Sunday.—
Jane Tyska,
Mercury News,
25 June 2025
Verb
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American aviation has been plagued with several tragedies this year, starting with the fatal midair collision between American Airlines Flight 5432 and a military Black Hawk helicopter in Washington, D.C., in which 67 people died.—
Theresa Braine,
New York Daily News,
16 June 2025
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Orders at last year's Farnborough were notably weaker, with supply chain challenges continuing to plague the industry.—
Jenni Reid,Holly Ellyatt,
CNBC,
16 June 2025
Verb
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With his penchant for menacing models, black-out contact lenses and jutting shoulders, Owens is also a forever torchbearer for different kinds of beauty, and a safe haven for people who feel persecuted for being outside the norm.—
Miles Socha,
Footwear News,
25 June 2025
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The regimes that persecute religious minorities are also the ones that oppress women, LGBTQ people, journalists, and dissidents.—
Nuri Kino,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 June 2025
Verb
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The new film is again set in a Viking village that is constantly besieged by different kinds of dragons.—
David Sims,
The Atlantic,
13 June 2025
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The Israeli military has raided or besieged numerous hospitals during the war, alleging that Hamas uses them to conceal fighters and orchestrate operations — a charge Hamas has repeatedly denied.—
Reuters,
NBC news,
9 June 2025
Verb
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The world wasn't ready for Steven Spielberg's scary story of a beach town beset by a killer great white.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
21 June 2025
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Other rituals to reclaim memories of once peaceful places beset by violence include the use of fragrant herbs and leaves the healers traditionally employ to reduce pain and bring comfort.—
Diane Cole,
NPR,
19 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Bedevil.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bedevil. Accessed 1 Jul. 2025.
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