as in plaguing
to cause persistent suffering to
a lingering cold bedeviled me for over a month
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Recent Examples of bedeviling
In a joint interview with the Chronicle, Uzelac and Executive Director Jennifer Delacroix blamed the cancellation on factors bedeviling many performing arts companies struggling to recover from the pandemic.
—
Theater Critic, San Francisco Chronicle, 13 Feb. 2026
This is just the latest in a string of shellfish heists bedeviling the Northeast where lobster, crabs, and oysters have gone missing in recent weeks.
—Jeremy Repanich, Robb Report, 31 Dec. 2025
There is a gaping hole in weather balloon coverage in western Alaska — a critical shortage bedeviling US forecasts and the National Weather Service since layoffs hit the agency as part of the Department of Government Efficiency’s push to shrink the federal government back in February.
—Andrew Freedman, CNN Money, 14 Oct. 2025
The argument isn’t without merit – since ESPN already has rights to these clips there isn’t much of the copyright concern bedeviling its parent company.
—Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 20 Aug. 2025
Theater Critic, San Francisco Chronicle, 13 Feb. 2026
This is just the latest in a string of shellfish heists bedeviling the Northeast where lobster, crabs, and oysters have gone missing in recent weeks.
—Jeremy Repanich, Robb Report, 31 Dec. 2025
There is a gaping hole in weather balloon coverage in western Alaska — a critical shortage bedeviling US forecasts and the National Weather Service since layoffs hit the agency as part of the Department of Government Efficiency’s push to shrink the federal government back in February.
—Andrew Freedman, CNN Money, 14 Oct. 2025
The argument isn’t without merit – since ESPN already has rights to these clips there isn’t much of the copyright concern bedeviling its parent company.
—Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 20 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bedeviling
Verb
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Deeply troubled by the demographic and social problems plaguing the Nenets people, Nerkagi founded the Land of Hope—a tundra school for children which combines modern and traditional education and provides support to orphans and lonely elders.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
25 Mar. 2026
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But since 2023, local municipalities have argued that the majority of ozone plaguing the cities is not their fault.—
Sarah Henry,
AZCentral.com,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
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There’s the one about afflicting the comfortable and comforting the afflicted.—
Bill Goodykoontz,
AZCentral.com,
13 Mar. 2026
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One of the strengths of the film is a precise visual design that alternates between distance and intimacy, with Caswill using the landscapes of her Alberta location to clearly and concisely express the sense of loneliness and isolation afflicting her heroine.—
Jim Hemphill,
IndieWire,
12 Mar. 2026
Verb
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But so often left unsaid by Gu are the moral ambiguities that come with choosing to represent a country that has been heavily criticized by Human Rights Watch, among other watchdog groups, for denying rights of freedom of expression and for persecuting government critics.—
Zak Keefer,
New York Times,
17 Feb. 2026
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The term refers to biblical passages in which Jesus described Jews in specific communities who were persecuting the early Christians.—
Jennifer Berry Hawes,
ProPublica,
4 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bedeviling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bedeviling. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.
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