as in to afflict
to cause persistent suffering to
a lingering cold bedeviled me for over a month
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
That's become the central issue and has really bedeviled Trump in recent weeks.
—
Cody Godwin, USA Today, 9 Apr. 2026
But this project was bedeviled with budget trouble, and axed before anyone got to see it.
—Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 3 Apr. 2026
Together, these individuals bedevil lawmakers with their flag-waving and their exaggerations about the alien problem.
—Christine Smallwood, Harpers Magazine, 24 Mar. 2026
But they haven’t been observed directly helping with the long security lines bedeviling passengers and their Department of Homeland Security colleagues in the Transportation Security Administration.
—Emma Hurt, AJC.com, 24 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for bedevil
Cody Godwin, USA Today, 9 Apr. 2026
But this project was bedeviled with budget trouble, and axed before anyone got to see it.
—Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 3 Apr. 2026
Together, these individuals bedevil lawmakers with their flag-waving and their exaggerations about the alien problem.
—Christine Smallwood, Harpers Magazine, 24 Mar. 2026
But they haven’t been observed directly helping with the long security lines bedeviling passengers and their Department of Homeland Security colleagues in the Transportation Security Administration.
—Emma Hurt, AJC.com, 24 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for bedevil
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bedevil
Verb
-
In 1602, she was afflicted by a slew of symptoms, such as convulsions, fits, and terrors.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Apr. 2026
-
And so what was once out of bounds continued to move within the Pale, and a scourge went on afflicting politicians and groypers and, yes, comedians alike.—
Steven Zeitchik,
HollywoodReporter,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Rumors of affairs plague all royals, even those no longer with us.—
Lizzie Lanuza,
StyleCaster,
2 May 2026
-
The document outlines steps to address failures in the agency’s affordable housing programs and financial reporting that have plagued the agency since 2019.—
R.A. Schuetz,
Houston Chronicle,
1 May 2026
Verb
-
Individuals with Jewish heritage through their father or a grandparent sometimes identified as Jewish or were persecuted for their Jewish heritage, as was the case under the Nazi regime.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Walker, however, agreed with the majority that the president cannot deport migrants to countries where they will be persecuted or strip them of mandatory procedures that protect against their removal.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
In a similar vein, the Business section featured an article on our inequitable national tax structure, which enables the wealthy to grow their wealth while most people, besieged by income taxes and rising property taxes, struggle.—
DP Opinion,
Denver Post,
10 Apr. 2026
-
Early on, the Biden team had been besieged with desperate pleas to ship more of the then scarce vaccine.—
David Blumenthal,
STAT,
24 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The recall is the latest issue to beset JLR.—
Bryan Hood,
Robb Report,
27 Apr. 2026
-
But some Americans, already beset with traumatic news amid deep political divisions at home and the wars in Iran and Ukraine, might choose to look away, partly to protect their own mental health.—
Makenzie Boucher,
USA Today,
27 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bedevil.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bedevil. Accessed 9 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
