as in to plague
to cause persistent suffering to
the villagers were gaunt and sickly, harrowed by years of disease and starvation
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Recent Examples of harrow
Before the big race, the track was harrowed, bringing it to a better and drier racing surface.
—
John Cherwa, Los Angeles Times, 7 June 2025
The research fellow who met me, Birte, was in her forties, and appeared as if she had been harrowed by her work.
—John Ganz, Harper's Magazine, 22 May 2024
Plus, Shin Ha-young is given little to do in the second half of the series despite her effortless shift from warm third wheel to harrowed and weary abuse victim.
—Geoffrey Bunting, Rolling Stone, 26 Oct. 2023
That same humble deity, in the course of putting on humanity, had obtained a glimpse of the conditions on earth—poverty, needless estrangement, a stubborn pattern of rich ruling over poor—and decided to incite a revolution that would harrow Hell.
—Vinson Cunningham, The New Yorker, 28 Dec. 2020
John Cherwa, Los Angeles Times, 7 June 2025
The research fellow who met me, Birte, was in her forties, and appeared as if she had been harrowed by her work.
—John Ganz, Harper's Magazine, 22 May 2024
Plus, Shin Ha-young is given little to do in the second half of the series despite her effortless shift from warm third wheel to harrowed and weary abuse victim.
—Geoffrey Bunting, Rolling Stone, 26 Oct. 2023
That same humble deity, in the course of putting on humanity, had obtained a glimpse of the conditions on earth—poverty, needless estrangement, a stubborn pattern of rich ruling over poor—and decided to incite a revolution that would harrow Hell.
—Vinson Cunningham, The New Yorker, 28 Dec. 2020
Recent Examples of Synonyms for harrow
Verb
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But the Cubs’ offensive woes plagued them more than a misthrow from their reliever.—
Andy Martinez,
Chicago Tribune,
11 Apr. 2026
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By the same token, one of the biggest bugs plaguing AMC’s The Audacity may be the timing.—
Angie Han,
HollywoodReporter,
10 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Washington’s version of McCall is disciplined but damaged, and possibly afflicted with something like obsessive-compulsive disorder.—
Kelefa Sanneh,
New Yorker,
20 Apr. 2026
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It was most recently extended in August 2024 for 18 months by the Biden administration, which cited economic, security, political and health crises afflicting the Caribbean nation.—
Caitlin Yilek,
CBS News,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Alex isn’t persecuted for being trans.—
Brittany Delay,
Mercury News,
17 Apr. 2026
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Jews were not necessarily being persecuted in Hungary at that point.—
Marcy Thompson,
Scientific American,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
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As the governments of US and Iran try to negotiate a peace deal, many Iranians are still being arrested, tortured and executed, according to rights groups.—
Dana Karni,
CNN Money,
20 Apr. 2026
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In December 2019, an immigration judge granted Rivera Ortega protection under the Convention Against Torture, a United Nations treaty designed to protect people who could be tortured if deported.—
Camilo Montoya-Galvez,
CBS News,
20 Apr. 2026
Verb
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May 2026 will mark five years of me being free from drugs, alcohol, and the mental illness that tormented me for years.—
Midsi Sanchez,
PEOPLE,
15 Apr. 2026
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Continuing his comeback from brain surgery in September 2023, Woodland experienced no problems with PTSD, a frightening condition that has tormented him off and on the past several months.—
Gary Bedore,
Kansas City Star,
13 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Harrow.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/harrow. Accessed 23 Apr. 2026.
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