as in grieving
suffering the death of a loved one
the grief of the bereaved parents seemed to be without limit
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
variants
or bereft
as in deprived
to take something away from
news of a death in the family bereaved them of the unmitigated joy that normally prevails at a wedding
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of bereaved
Reuters, NBC news, 16 Feb. 2026
But survivors and bereaved families of the deceased hostages are more critical of the government celebrations.
—Tal Shalev, CNN Money, 27 Jan. 2026
Yiyun Li, New Yorker, 1 Mar. 2026
Jeremy Irvine plays the beleaguered, bereaved Henry.
—Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 5 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bereaved
Adjective
The government would also consult on changes to bring in automatic data-preservation orders when a child dies, allowing investigators to secure key online evidence — a measure long sought by bereaved families.
—Reuters, NBC news, 16 Feb. 2026
But survivors and bereaved families of the deceased hostages are more critical of the government celebrations.
—Tal Shalev, CNN Money, 27 Jan. 2026
Verb
But there would inevitably be some who insisted that the bereaved also join in the singing.
—Yiyun Li, New Yorker, 1 Mar. 2026
Jeremy Irvine plays the beleaguered, bereaved Henry.
—Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 5 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bereaved
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bereaved
Verb
-
Sleeping in on weekends can somewhat offset the risk in people who are sleep deprived during the week, but increases the risk in those getting enough sleep.—
Tom Gavin,
EverydayHealth.com,
5 Mar. 2026
-
The risk of vehicle crashes also increases each spring when drivers are especially sleep deprived after losing an hour of rest, the academy said.—
Maia Pandey,
jsonline.com,
3 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The search was scaled down, and her bereft parents, Carole and Vince, went home to their three boys.—
Hilary Whiteman,
CNN Money,
28 Feb. 2026
-
Not to raze to the ground our diverse identities, our cultures, our fertile values, in service of some narrow, singular, bereft story—a ghost story, a story of glory long dead.—
Sayantani DasGupta
February 24,
Literary Hub,
24 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
But imagine a good cheeseburger, stripped down to its essential elements in raw form.—
Jenn Harris,
Los Angeles Times,
5 Mar. 2026
-
In October, Pentagon reporters from major news outlets were stripped of daily access to the Pentagon for refusing to agree to restrictions on newsgathering that Hegseth demanded.—
Brian Bennett,
Time,
4 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Several conspiracy theories have emerged in the wake of the assassination, taking an emotional toll on the widowed mother of two.—
Peter D'Abrosca,
FOXNews.com,
3 Feb. 2026
-
With Season 4 comes a potential new flame for the widowed Violet (Ruth Gemmell) in the form of one Lord Marcus Anderson (Daniel Francis).—
Emily Kelleher,
InStyle,
30 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bereaved.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bereaved. Accessed 9 Mar. 2026.
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