harrow

verb

Definition of harrownext
as in to plague
to cause persistent suffering to the villagers were gaunt and sickly, harrowed by years of disease and starvation

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for harrow
  1. plague
  2. afflict
  3. persecute
  4. torture
  5. torment
Verb
  • What did Widow’s Bay creator and showrunner Katie Dippold see in Matthew Rhys as Tom Loftis, mayor of the New England island town plagued by a historic curse?
    — Beatrice Verhoeven, HollywoodReporter, 7 Aug. 2026
  • South Africa is plagued by violence, but extensive research has found that white South African farmers are not victims of crime at higher rates than other groups.
    — Anna Maria Barry-Jester, ProPublica, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of plague
Verb
  • Repeat this process once the soil has dried again, until affected plants are no longer afflicted with pests.
    — Abby Monteil, The Spruce, 1 Aug. 2026
  • Blending horror with comedy, the Apple TV show takes place in a fictitious New England island town afflicted by a centuries-old curse that brings about supernatural evils.
    — Beatrice Verhoeven, HollywoodReporter, 31 July 2026
Definition of afflict
Verb
  • Although the two programs similarly target humanitarian concerns, being a TPS holder does not guarantee asylum, which requires that applicants prove they’ve been persecuted on specific grounds.
    — Cameron Pugh, Christian Science Monitor, 1 Aug. 2026
  • In The Bacchae, Dionysus becomes violent only because his existence has been denied and his followers persecuted, and his maenads similarly become destructive only when pursued.
    — Angelica Frey, JSTOR Daily, 31 July 2026
Definition of persecute
Verb
  • Human rights organizations have released multiple reports alleging Palestinian prisoners are mistreated, tortured and wrongfully detained in Israeli jails.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 5 Aug. 2026
  • Working off a few vague details, Bret begins to imagine a link between Robert and a serial killer known as the Trawler, who has been abducting and torturing young women around Los Angeles.
    — Leo Lasdun, New Yorker, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of torture
Verb
  • Aside from tormenting the sole out transgender member of Congress by waging a campaign to bar her from using the women’s bathroom in the Capitol, Mace had been a side player that year.
    — Annie Karni, Vogue, 6 Aug. 2026
  • From Boyle Heights to Monterey Park, residents said they were overwhelmed by the smoke from the week-long fire, and then tormented by the horrible stench from decaying meat and seafood.
    — Tony Briscoe, Los Angeles Times, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of torment

Browse Nearby Words

harries
harrow
harrowed
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Cite this Entry

“Harrow.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/harrow. Accessed 10 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on harrow

Nglish: Translation of harrow for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about harrow

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