bereave

as in to deprive
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

Relevance

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for bereave
Verb
  • Alabama last year became the first state to carry out an execution with nitrogen gas, a method that involves pumping nitrogen through a face mask and depriving the inmate of oxygen.
    Kim Chandler, Los Angeles Times, 4 July 2025
  • Permitting their unlawful removal would thwart that purpose and deprive the public of the commission's full expertise and oversight.
    Melissa Quinn July 2, CBS News, 2 July 2025
Verb
  • When University of Pennsylvania administrators announced that the school was stripping Lia (formerly William) Thomas, ...
    Becket Adams, National Review, 6 July 2025
  • The mountains rose up, stripped the overriding rocks, and then cooled down.
    Emilie Le Beau Lucchesi, Discover Magazine, 5 July 2025
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.

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Bereave.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bereave. Accessed 16 Jul. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on bereave

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!