as in to afflict
to cause persistent suffering to
a lingering cold bedeviled me for over a month
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of bedevil
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
Undoubtedly, in the sense that a lot more people are talking about the 25th Amendment, a lot more people are talking about impeachment, a lot more people are trying to scrutinize the Constitution to see whether there are answers to a lot of the questions that bedevil us right now.
—Nik Popli, Time, 10 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for bedevil
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
Undoubtedly, in the sense that a lot more people are talking about the 25th Amendment, a lot more people are talking about impeachment, a lot more people are trying to scrutinize the Constitution to see whether there are answers to a lot of the questions that bedevil us right now.
—Nik Popli, Time, 10 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for bedevil
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bedevil
Verb
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Losses from cattle afflicted by the parasite could run into the billions of dollars, with larger effects across the American economy, according to USDA estimates.—
Eduardo Cuevas,
USA Today,
2 June 2026
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The incursion was the latest in a litany of drone incidents — from both Russia and Ukraine — to afflict NATO member states and leave the 32-member trans-Atlantic organization on edge, drawing strong condemnation from Romania’s allies.—
Stephen McGrath,
Los Angeles Times,
29 May 2026
Verb
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But a season plagued by poor form and injuries to key players saw soccer giants finishing fifth in the league, 25 points behind leaders Arsenal.—
Mark Hodge,
NBC news,
30 May 2026
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But Frontier is still vulnerable to the many problems plaguing the overall US airline industry, and especially the low-fare segment of the market.—
Chris Isidore,
CNN Money,
30 May 2026
Verb
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Jack Hayford, the founder of the King’s University, in Texas, claimed that the film was persecuting Christians, who only wanted to be treated equally.—
Isaac Butler,
New Yorker,
30 May 2026
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During and shortly after the Spanish Civil War, Franco’s regime, too, persecuted Esperantists for the language’s association with anti–nationalism and anarchism.—
Katie Thornton,
Harpers Magazine,
26 May 2026
Verb
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Bay Area content creator Kane Parsons pushes back on conventional storytelling, and his hypnotic approach results in one of 2026’s most exhilarating debuts, a existential head trip that GoPros us into a human subconscious besieged by misshapen memories that trap and hold you hostage.—
Randy Myers,
Mercury News,
28 May 2026
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Over the years, we were constantly besieged with inquiries.—
Gillian Telling,
PEOPLE,
19 May 2026
Verb
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Our new weekly newsletter, Fortune Gulf Brief, will bring you the smartest coverage of the region, beset now by geopolitical volatility but still one of the most exciting and business-consequential regions in the world.—
Alyson Shontell,
Fortune,
2 June 2026
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On the other side, De la Espriella has promised to fiercely crack down on criminal groups and build 10 megaprisons, following in a similar vein as El Salvador’s president, Nayib Bukele, in his war on gangs, which has been beset by abuses, according to findings by human rights groups.—
Megan Janetsky,
Los Angeles Times,
1 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bedevil.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bedevil. Accessed 3 Jun. 2026.
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