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
Sweta Kaushal, Forbes.com, 19 May 2025
According to tradition, Peter traveled to Rome to spread the Christian message and was martyred there during the reign of the Emperor Nero, around 64 A.D., as Christians were being persecuted.
—Vanessa Gera, Chicago Tribune, 8 May 2025
Fortune, 22 Sep. 2025
The conservative political activist who was murdered earlier this month was repeatedly described as a martyr whose movement would live on.
—Alexandra Banner, CNN Money, 22 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for martyr
Verb
His grandfather was martyred in the 1971 war, the former spy reveals.
—Sweta Kaushal, Forbes.com, 19 May 2025
According to tradition, Peter traveled to Rome to spread the Christian message and was martyred there during the reign of the Emperor Nero, around 64 A.D., as Christians were being persecuted.
—Vanessa Gera, Chicago Tribune, 8 May 2025
Noun
On Sunday, he was lionized as a Christian martyr and patriot committed to free expression and challenging liberal orthodoxy.
—Fortune, 22 Sep. 2025
The conservative political activist who was murdered earlier this month was repeatedly described as a martyr whose movement would live on.
—Alexandra Banner, CNN Money, 22 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for martyr
Recent Examples of Synonyms for martyr
Verb
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In October alone, shoppers were attacked in a supermarket, a Spanish tourist was scratched by a cub at a heritage site, and a trail runner was forced to wrestle a bear in the woods before sprinting to safety.—
Jessie Yeung,
CNN Money,
7 Nov. 2025
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Iran fired hundreds of ballistic missiles into Israel in response and attacked the Middle East's largest American military base in Qatar.—
MSNBC Newsweek,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Nov. 2025
Noun
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After her best friend and heir-to-the-throne, Kyrian, replaces her as a sacrifice to the Devil, plain, plus-size and autistic Alesta is willing to go to Hell and back.—
Brittany Johnson,
PEOPLE,
2 Nov. 2025
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Back at Montecalvo, another fan-favorite character is making another sacrifice.—
Scott Meslow,
Vulture,
30 Oct. 2025
Verb
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After female marches, which became iconic in the Belarusian revolution 2020, of course, the regime started to arrest women too and torture them too, the same as men.—
Georg Szalai,
HollywoodReporter,
7 Nov. 2025
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Daniel is just one of an unknown number of migrants who are currently being tortured on a near daily basis, somewhere in Libya’s Sahara Desert.—
Mick Krever,
CNN Money,
6 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Given both are in the top 10 of the CFP rankings, the winner will be in the driver's seat for the automatic berth while the loser can lose control of their destiny.—
Jordan Mendoza,
USA Today,
7 Nov. 2025
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The ability to create and absorb failure has always been a key resource in an industry whose losers historically outnumber its winners.—
Peter Bart,
Deadline,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Florida had a shot at a program-defining win against the rival that tormented it the most.—
Noah White,
Miami Herald,
2 Nov. 2025
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In her exhaustive chronicle, Jennings traces the long folkloric history of monk-tormenting demons.—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
31 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Diddy’s anguished plea for mercy.—
Daniel Arkin,
NBC news,
3 Oct. 2025
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But instead of preparing for this moment – the birth of her fifth child – she's anguished about her husband Miguel Angel Garcia-Hernandez.—
Sergio Martínez-Beltrán,
NPR,
27 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The apology came after a sustained campaign by historians and activists who argued that the victims were persecuted for being poor, vulnerable, or simply different.—
James Frater,
CNN Money,
31 Oct. 2025
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Its depictions of dancing devils and witches’ sabbaths are supposed to scare viewers straight, but writer-director Benjamin Christensen is also sympathetic towards the plight of medieval women persecuted for witchcraft.—
Katie Rife,
Entertainment Weekly,
30 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Parker also faces criminal charges As school shootings continue to plague US campuses, this civil trial could serve as a roadmap for the upcoming criminal case against Parker, which itself could set a broader precedent.—
Chris Boyette,
CNN Money,
3 Nov. 2025
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The promise of Carson Beck has given way to the regression of the turnover bug that plagued him last year at Georgia.—
Erick Smith,
USA Today,
3 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Martyr.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/martyr. Accessed 8 Nov. 2025.
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