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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Meanwhile, some good news is in the forecast for the drought- and heat-plagued West, as a cool, wet and even snowy pattern is forecast to bring some relief that's desperately needed across the region.—
Doyle Rice,
USA Today,
28 Mar. 2026
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While the company ultimately plans to build a 104-station tunnel network beneath Las Vegas, the project has also been plagued by safety issues, accidents, and scandals.—
Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez,
Fortune,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
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And Chee seems to have finally turned a corner regarding the ghost sickness afflicting him both physically and emotionally.—
Lisa de los Reyes,
HollywoodReporter,
30 Mar. 2026
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Moody’s injury is one of the most severe of a series that has afflicted the Warriors this season, who also saw Jimmy Butler go down with a season-ending ACL tear in January.—
Joseph Dycus,
Mercury News,
29 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The helpless and much persecuted turtles were cooked in a rich, creamy soup with chunks of meat.—
James Stout,
Outside,
29 Mar. 2026
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The Iranian regime has persecuted members of her own family.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
29 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Court records show that Gabriel was tortured by starvation, shot by BB guns, and forced to eat cat litter, cat feces and his own vomit.—
Rick Montanez,
CBS News,
30 Mar. 2026
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His Venice entry triggered multiple walkouts in Sonoma, though, especially during a scene featuring the always solid Oscar Isaac getting tortured.—
Anne Thompson,
IndieWire,
29 Mar. 2026
Verb
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In Thomas Bernhard’s The Loser, Wertheimer, tormented by encountering a genius in the form of fellow piano student Glenn Gould, gives up his dreams of performing and moves in with his sister.—
Christine Smallwood,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Mar. 2026
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Cuba’s economy, already hollowed out by mismanagement, communist economic ideology, sanctions, and the end of subsidized oil from Venezuela, is now tormented by island-wide blackouts and food shortages.—
Sarah Fitzpatrick,
The Atlantic,
22 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Harrow.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/harrow. Accessed 2 Apr. 2026.
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