variants
or devilling
as in tormenting
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Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deviling
Verb
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But the man hung himself, most likely due to Duncan tormenting him relentlessly like a jock pranking a nerd in an ‘80s campus comedy.—
Scott Tobias,
Vulture,
12 Apr. 2026 -
With the help of journalist Gerrick Kennedy, the memoir details Brandy's meteoric rise to fame as a young teen while volleying ambition, exhaustion and self-doubt, moving through a predatory and tormenting industry and being misunderstood in the public eye.—
Taijuan Moorman,
USA Today,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The order also accused the Cuban government of persecuting political opponents, suppressing free speech and the press, and committing other human rights violations—actions that have been documented by human rights organizations over the years.—
Chad de Guzman,
Time,
17 Mar. 2026
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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
Verb
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Voles are likely to blame when previously-healthy plantings topple over for no apparent reason or when a tree is girdled around its base from gnawing.—
Arricca Elin SanSone,
Southern Living,
19 Apr. 2026
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Things are kept mostly under wraps in this trailer, which spotlights the family vibe and the gnawing concern that something isn’t right, alongside jarring footage of a suburban street torn asunder.—
William Earl,
Variety,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
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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
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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
Verb
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With this police run-in, Country Joe and the Fish received a slew of press, riling up the public ahead of their Woodstock performance.—
Cerys Davies,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Mar. 2026
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Despite losing to Georgia in the conference championship game, DeBoer's Crimson Tide earned one of this year's 12 CFP spots, potentially riling up coaches and fans from other programs who felt their teams got snubbed.—
Matthew Couden,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Offshore Data Centers Face Challenges Aikido’s plan avoids the prickly not-in-my-backyard complaints that are dogging both onshore wind and data-center projects.—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
3 Mar. 2026
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Stocks had a rough session Friday on the worries about AI hurting the economy that have been dogging the market for weeks.—
Morgan Chittum,
CNBC,
28 Feb. 2026
Verb
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In a joint statement, the foreign ministers of both nations, which share the island of Hispaniola and a vexing history, announced that the Dominican Republic would restore commercial flights between Santo Domingo and Cap-Haïtien for the first time in over two years, beginning May 1.—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
21 Apr. 2026
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The third-year wing said he’s been working closely with Brown to devise methods of vexing Tyrese Maxey, the Sixers’ most dangerous offensive threat.—
Zack Cox,
Boston Herald,
19 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The actress, producer and book club founder took to social media to speak out about leaning in to artificial intelligence, rankling some of her followers in the process.—
Anika Reed,
USA Today,
17 Apr. 2026
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But Johnson recalled how in 2024 Newsom vetoed a bill that would have allowed undocumented people to work at public universities, rankling activists.—
Andrew Graham,
Sacbee.com,
15 Feb. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Deviling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deviling. Accessed 27 Apr. 2026.
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