1
as in inferno
the place of punishment for the wicked after death
condemned to hell for their sins
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in nightmare
a situation or state that causes great suffering and unhappiness
picking cotton under the hot summer sun was hell
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in havoc
a state in which everything is out of order
all hell broke loose when the jury's verdict was announced
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of hell
Weeks later and about 90 blocks south, fellow Tony winner Matthew Broderick began playing the pious con man that causes holy hell in Lucas Hnath and Sarah Benson’s gender-bending revival.
—
Karu F. Daniels, New York Daily News, 22 Jan. 2026
But the bones of this deal from hell have survived one challenge after another.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 22 Jan. 2026
The Dolphins are in such cap hell that Chubb might need to take another pay cut to stick around.
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 21 Jan. 2026
Then a what-the-hell interception to Kamren Curl in overtime to set the Rams up for victory.
—Jerry McDonald, Mercury News, 20 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for hell
Karu F. Daniels, New York Daily News, 22 Jan. 2026
But the bones of this deal from hell have survived one challenge after another.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 22 Jan. 2026
The Dolphins are in such cap hell that Chubb might need to take another pay cut to stick around.
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 21 Jan. 2026
Then a what-the-hell interception to Kamren Curl in overtime to set the Rams up for victory.
—Jerry McDonald, Mercury News, 20 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for hell
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hell
Noun
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In a disturbing incident in the northern city of Rasht, regime forces shot unarmed civilians trying to escape an inferno engulfing its bazaar.—
Paul Iddon,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
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Jonathan Rinderknecht has been charged with setting the fire that grew into the massive inferno.—
Michelle Edgar,
Daily News,
24 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Not to be overly dramatic, but dressing up for the office is basically my nightmare.—
Jamie Allison Sanders,
PEOPLE,
30 Jan. 2026
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That perfect life becomes a nightmare, or is revealed to have been one all along.—
Judy Berman,
Time,
30 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The weather was already causing havoc in the air — with about 1,000 flight disruptions at CLT airport — and on the ground, with State Highway Patrol handling over 175 wrecks so far.—
Joe Marusak,
Charlotte Observer,
31 Jan. 2026
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In any case, the Chiefs’ self-evaluation this offseason is sure to focus on how the team can create more havoc — while also getting back to the production of past seasons when creating big plays was more the norm.—
Jesse Newell,
New York Times,
30 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Kafka compared it to descending into the cold abyss of oneself.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Jan. 2026
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Within a five-day span last week, the Boston Red Sox went from the abyss to the mountaintop.—
Gabrielle Starr,
Boston Herald,
23 Jan. 2026
Noun
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That data may suffer from recency bias—the last memory of fans who enjoy part of a great match but eventually lose their seat is negative, whereas fans who waited for hours to get into the end of a great match may forget the agony of the wait.—
Lev Akabas,
Sportico.com,
30 Jan. 2026
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One lives vicariously with the band through the agony of the days when creativity was limited by how much tape was available or how much space there was on a single album without making the perilous leap to double.—
Chris Jones,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Ideally, provide a range of low-mess snacks that can easily be eaten during gameplay, or take dedicated food breaks throughout the game so your game tiles don’t get covered with food.—
Cori Sears,
Better Homes & Gardens,
29 Jan. 2026
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Republicans are publicly calling for the removal of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and privately freaking out that her Minnesota mess will doom their chances of holding Congress in the 2026 midterms.—
Gustavo Arellano,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Sloth, after all, is a deadly sin, and it was often seen as the first step on the slippery slope to perdition.—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
31 Oct. 2025
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California policymakers continue to make laws and allow regulators to contrive rules that make California a land of perdition rather than destination for enterprise because they have been captured by left-of-center interests.—
Kerry Jackson,
Oc Register,
13 Sep. 2025
Noun
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This week’s massive winter storm dumped more than a foot of snow on at least 19 states, including those like Texas and Tennessee that are less prepared to deal with the miseries of winter weather.—
Amy Feldman,
Forbes.com,
28 Jan. 2026
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But apartheid brought immense unhappiness and misery to white South Africans, too.—
Eve Fairbanks,
The Dial,
27 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hell.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hell. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
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