as in to attack
to kill (someone) for refusing to give up a belief or cause
—usually used as (be) martyred
He was martyred for his religious beliefs.
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Recent Examples of martyr
Ishaan Tharoor, New Yorker, 1 Mar. 2026
And martyred, really, martyred for his beliefs.
—Dallas Morning News, 25 Feb. 2026
Karen J. Leader, Sun Sentinel, 9 Mar. 2026
The present attacks in Iran will likely make Ali Khamenei a martyr and only solidify the resistance to freedom and democracy.
—Chicago Tribune, 5 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for martyr
Verb
Khamenei, an ailing octogenarian, frequently spoke of his willingness to be martyred, and regime officials have claimed that Israel already tried to target them last summer, when Israel and Iran traded strikes in what would become known as the Twelve-Day War.
—Ishaan Tharoor, New Yorker, 1 Mar. 2026
And martyred, really, martyred for his beliefs.
—Dallas Morning News, 25 Feb. 2026
Noun
Kirk’s supporters, including a former staffer in the DeSantis administration, collected screenshots and tried to get people fired for disrupting their fake martyr narrative.
—Karen J. Leader, Sun Sentinel, 9 Mar. 2026
The present attacks in Iran will likely make Ali Khamenei a martyr and only solidify the resistance to freedom and democracy.
—Chicago Tribune, 5 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for martyr
Recent Examples of Synonyms for martyr
Verb
-
The woman told officers that at some point, Morehead came back and brutally attacked her, including punching her in the face and stomach and dragging her back inside.—
Meredith Colias-Pete,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Apr. 2026
-
Two minutes later, Towns attacked Onyeka Okongwu off the dribble for a dunk.—
Kristian Winfield,
New York Daily News,
9 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Others say the spirit of sacrifice that Kimbangu embodied should be emulated by Congo’s leaders.—
Rodney Muhumuza,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Apr. 2026
-
So the couple made a major sacrifice.—
Jordan Greene,
PEOPLE,
10 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Countless thousands were displaced, tortured and killed, but what became of Gerson and Inlender’s ancestors?—
Marc Weingarten,
Los Angeles Times,
4 Apr. 2026
-
The house of another, Carlotta Walls, was bombed a month before her graduation, and the police subsequently tortured her father in an unsuccessful attempt to coerce a confession.—
Daniel Felsenthal,
Pitchfork,
4 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Alex Wang was the hard-luck loser for Cistercian (3-13, 0-6) going 7 innings scattering 3 hits with an unearned run, 2 strikeouts and one walk.—
Darren Lauber,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
8 Apr. 2026
-
Winners and losers are coming into sharper focus as the battle intensifies to retain and attract people.—
Aldo Svaldi,
Denver Post,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Benedict Cumberbatch stars as Phil, a spiteful rancher who torments his brother's (Jesse Plemons) new wife (Kirsten Dunst) and her sensitive teenage son, Peter (Kodi Smit-McPhee), against the backdrop of 1920s Montana.—
Kevin Jacobsen,
Entertainment Weekly,
9 Apr. 2026
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Madigan's Aunt Gladys emerges as the movie's primary villain and torments characters portrayed by Josh Brolin, Julia Garner, Alden Ehrenreich, Austin Abrams, Benedict Wong and child star Cary Christopher throughout the film.—
Tommy McArdle,
PEOPLE,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Especially for someone whose entire adult life has been immersed in the adrenaline-infusion of coaching — from its exhilarating highs and anguishing lows to simply always being in the middle of so much.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
1 Apr. 2026
-
On the other hand, you might be mentally anguished when trying to settle a rating into just three points consisting of either all, in-between, or nothing.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
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For years, deportations could be indefinitely delayed if an immigrant successfully argued that they’d be tortured or persecuted if they were returned home.—
Seth Klamann,
Denver Post,
12 Apr. 2026
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The Eduiot site includes photographs and audiovisual material, and features the accounts of parents, siblings, cousins, nephews and nieces of Jews persecuted and disappeared under the dictatorship.—
Juan Melamed,
Sun Sentinel,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
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
Cite this Entry
“Martyr.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/martyr. Accessed 13 Apr. 2026.
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