as in wrongs
that which is morally unacceptable
our free will allows us to choose between good and evil
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Recent Examples of evils
The colonists were subject to arbitrary taxation, warrantless searches, standing armies in their homes, and other evils at the hands of the crown.
—
Agustina Vergara Cid, Oc Register, 15 Feb. 2026
As usual, the list of evils leads off with a medical procedure that is never directly condemned in the Bible — and is arguably even sanctioned in Jewish texts when a pregnancy threatens a woman’s health.
—Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, The Orlando Sentinel, 1 Feb. 2026
Voters in primary elections may nominate extremists to run in the general election, leaving independents no choice but to vote for the lesser of two evils or to abstain from voting for either.
—Chicago Tribune, 26 Jan. 2026
Nick, first buy a dictionary and then take a few courses in logic and the evils of bigotry.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 26 Jan. 2026
These necessary evils drain your creative energy.
—Jodie Cook, Forbes.com, 23 Jan. 2026
One was a sense of the evils of narcotrafficking; Petro recited a litany of statistics about Colombia’s efforts to halt drug smuggling.
—Jon Lee Anderson, New Yorker, 15 Jan. 2026
King confronted tension and his words were not to placate to white society, but to confront and eradicate the evils that plagued his people.
—Raisa Habersham, Miami Herald, 15 Jan. 2026
On the contrary, what often works best are vague or utopian promises of deliverance, combined with an emotionally powerful depiction of the intolerable injustice and inescapable evils of the current regime.
—Karim Sadjadpour, The Atlantic, 10 Jan. 2026
Agustina Vergara Cid, Oc Register, 15 Feb. 2026
As usual, the list of evils leads off with a medical procedure that is never directly condemned in the Bible — and is arguably even sanctioned in Jewish texts when a pregnancy threatens a woman’s health.
—Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, The Orlando Sentinel, 1 Feb. 2026
Voters in primary elections may nominate extremists to run in the general election, leaving independents no choice but to vote for the lesser of two evils or to abstain from voting for either.
—Chicago Tribune, 26 Jan. 2026
Nick, first buy a dictionary and then take a few courses in logic and the evils of bigotry.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 26 Jan. 2026
These necessary evils drain your creative energy.
—Jodie Cook, Forbes.com, 23 Jan. 2026
One was a sense of the evils of narcotrafficking; Petro recited a litany of statistics about Colombia’s efforts to halt drug smuggling.
—Jon Lee Anderson, New Yorker, 15 Jan. 2026
King confronted tension and his words were not to placate to white society, but to confront and eradicate the evils that plagued his people.
—Raisa Habersham, Miami Herald, 15 Jan. 2026
On the contrary, what often works best are vague or utopian promises of deliverance, combined with an emotionally powerful depiction of the intolerable injustice and inescapable evils of the current regime.
—Karim Sadjadpour, The Atlantic, 10 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for evils
Noun
-
The arc of a wrongful-conviction story bends toward exoneration and release—a flawed but heartening correction of past wrongs.—
Rachel Monroe,
New Yorker,
18 Feb. 2026
-
Keeping a list of wrongs ordered a world that was new and confusing to me.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 Feb. 2026
Noun
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While working together on The Unit, David Mamet once told you that good drama isn’t a choice between good and bad; good drama is the choice between two bads.—
Max Gao,
The Hollywood Reporter,
24 Jan. 2025
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Reports out of fall camp haven’t been super favorable to their offense, and while the defense will, again, be top-notch, a team with this bad of an offense cannot be trusted.—
Austin Mock,
The Athletic,
19 Aug. 2024
Noun
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This comes as mosques and holy shrines have been important bases for the regime to spread the hardcore ideology its leaders stand by, which bans any kind of dance and music and scorns them as sins -- let alone tolerating them in public or at holy sites.—
Somayeh Malekian,
ABC News,
23 Feb. 2026
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Considered the ultimate sacrifice, Jesus died for the sins of others by crucifixion and was later laid to rest at a nearby tomb.—
Marina Johnson,
Louisville Courier Journal,
22 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Faced with high rates of suicide and other ills such as addiction, corrections officers have long been concerned about the stress and violence of their jobs.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
24 Feb. 2026
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Reform’s pitch to voters is that, for many of these ills, mass immigration is to blame.—
Alexander Smith,
NBC news,
24 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Evils.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/evils. Accessed 28 Feb. 2026.
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