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 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
  1. afflict
  2. plague
  3. persecute
  4. besiege
  5. beset
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
  • States will assert ownership of fishing grounds, tamper with undersea cables, and, potentially, conquer or besiege islands.
    — Michael Albertus, Foreign Affairs, 30 Sep. 2026
  • The settlers who carried out the attack in Jalud overnight are the same group who besieged the home of a Palestinian-American in the neighboring village of Qusra last month, local residents say.
    — Zeena Saifi, CNN Money, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of besiege
Verb
  • Meanwhile, the timeline that has emerged since all charges were dismissed shows the Broadview case was beset by controversy from its inception.
    — Jason Meisner, Chicago Tribune, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Far from diplomatic and security humdrum, these developments make the Mecca pact about more than territorial defense in a region beset by myriad challenges and conflicts, from Iran to Yemen.
    — John Calabrese, The Conversation, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of beset

Browse Nearby Words

bedecks
bedevil
bedeviled
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Bedevil.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bedevil. Accessed 5 Oct. 2026.

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