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
On some level, Hasna senses that such a soulless, Kafkaesque environment has to be hiding worse evils than paycheck withholding and infrequent bathroom breaks.
—
Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 18 May 2026
Ranked-choice voting would increase the chances of electing people whom voters are for, rather than the lesser of two evils.
—Lucas Robinson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 May 2026
But there also seemed to be a sense of embarrassment about what were considered necessary evils.
—Neil Flanagan, The Atlantic, 2 May 2026
The rules, and their enforcement, are often seen as necessary evils for the sake of protecting property values, even among the vast majority of residents who have had action taken against them.
—Lew Sichelman, Miami Herald, 30 Apr. 2026
And for Michael Kosta, who made the best argument for alternative energy this Earth Day, getting Ryan to riff on the evils of crypto was a true get.
—Bethy Squires, Vulture, 24 Apr. 2026
Still, the state is often seen as the lesser of two evils when compared to a neighbor like Florida.
—Theresa Gaffney, STAT, 20 Apr. 2026
Yes, voters might choose Democrats as the lesser of two evils this November, but that doesn’t mean Americans are out there buying Democratic foam fingers.
—Matt K. Lewis, Twin Cities, 12 Apr. 2026
The show mostly avoids the politics that swirl around the design business, especially these days when critics are obsessed with the environmental evils of fast fashion and the shortcomings of an industry known to exploit labor around the globe.
—Ray Mark Rinaldi, Denver Post, 6 Apr. 2026
Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 18 May 2026
Ranked-choice voting would increase the chances of electing people whom voters are for, rather than the lesser of two evils.
—Lucas Robinson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 May 2026
But there also seemed to be a sense of embarrassment about what were considered necessary evils.
—Neil Flanagan, The Atlantic, 2 May 2026
The rules, and their enforcement, are often seen as necessary evils for the sake of protecting property values, even among the vast majority of residents who have had action taken against them.
—Lew Sichelman, Miami Herald, 30 Apr. 2026
And for Michael Kosta, who made the best argument for alternative energy this Earth Day, getting Ryan to riff on the evils of crypto was a true get.
—Bethy Squires, Vulture, 24 Apr. 2026
Still, the state is often seen as the lesser of two evils when compared to a neighbor like Florida.
—Theresa Gaffney, STAT, 20 Apr. 2026
Yes, voters might choose Democrats as the lesser of two evils this November, but that doesn’t mean Americans are out there buying Democratic foam fingers.
—Matt K. Lewis, Twin Cities, 12 Apr. 2026
The show mostly avoids the politics that swirl around the design business, especially these days when critics are obsessed with the environmental evils of fast fashion and the shortcomings of an industry known to exploit labor around the globe.
—Ray Mark Rinaldi, Denver Post, 6 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for evils
Noun
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Her fable depicts twin sisters on a revenge road trip, setting out to right the wrongs of their early childhood at the behest of their estranged mother, finding some catharsis along the way.—
Katie Walsh,
Boston Herald,
15 May 2026
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As a result of the courage and determination of Tribune journalists, our public and government were given the opportunity to address wrongs.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
9 May 2026
Noun
-
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
-
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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Genius and grit can mask a lot of sins.—
Dieter Kurtenbach,
Mercury News,
18 May 2026
-
The Orson subplot feels like the show is shooting one too many fish in the barrel, because the sins of the grown-ups provide enough targets on their own.—
Scott Tobias,
Vulture,
17 May 2026
Noun
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Chambers grew up in Worcester, Massachusetts, which has become something of a poster-child of the ills of deindustrialization.—
Greg Rosalsky,
NPR,
19 May 2026
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The expectations, the hope is so high for that prescription to be the salve for their ills.—
Torie Bosch,
STAT,
25 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Evils.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/evils. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
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