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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of martyr
Lucas Aulbach, The Courier-Journal, 24 Dec. 2024
In the years since, Peanut’s various costumes and antics, including jumping through hoops and eating waffles, have earned him hundreds of thousands of Instagram followers, per Social Blade — even before he was martyred.
—Kate Lindsay, Vulture, 4 Nov. 2024
Sen. Dan Hall, Twin Cities, 8 Feb. 2025
This perception could turn those who, like Le Pen and Georgescu, are penalized by those institutions, into martyrs, warned Mounk.
—Christian Edwards, CNN Money, 5 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for martyr
Verb
The skeletal remains of two saints martyred in Rome more than 1,800 years ago are on display at the front of the church, encased in illuminated glass tombs.
—Lucas Aulbach, The Courier-Journal, 24 Dec. 2024
In the years since, Peanut’s various costumes and antics, including jumping through hoops and eating waffles, have earned him hundreds of thousands of Instagram followers, per Social Blade — even before he was martyred.
—Kate Lindsay, Vulture, 4 Nov. 2024
Noun
This holiday is particularly special for the Catholic church and promotes the commemoration of saints and martyrs.
—Sen. Dan Hall, Twin Cities, 8 Feb. 2025
This perception could turn those who, like Le Pen and Georgescu, are penalized by those institutions, into martyrs, warned Mounk.
—Christian Edwards, CNN Money, 5 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for martyr
Recent Examples of Synonyms for martyr
Verb
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The account commonly attacks news publications and posts comments criticizing reporting about Hegseth and the Defense Department.—
Eleanor Watson,
CBS News,
29 Apr. 2025
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According to Haynes, Lillard is motivated to attack his rehab and return to form.—
Mohammed Soliman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 Apr. 2025
Noun
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The thread that connects each of these characters' stories is the choice between sacrifice and preservation.—
DeVonne Goode,
Parents,
21 Apr. 2025
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Bobby Nash was written in sacrifice and he was built for this.—
Jack Dunn,
Variety,
20 Apr. 2025
Verb
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He was allegedly held in a clandestine detention site and tortured by intelligence agents.—
Antonio Maria Delgado,
Miami Herald,
30 Apr. 2025
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If Episode 2 was the depiction of fire and uncontrollable rage — with Tommy flaming down an unrelenting monster known as a bloater, and Abby (Kaitlyn Dever) torturing and killing Joel — Episode 3 is the opposite.—
Maira Garcia,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Apr. 2025
Noun
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The losers Shares of U.S. carriers have been battered by Trump's tariffs and softening travel demand, with the S&P 1500 airlines index .SPCOMAIR losing nearly a third of its value since January 20.—
Shashwat Chauhan and Medha Singh,
USA Today,
30 Apr. 2025
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Some position groups and players already on the roster benefited more than others from Morgan’s decisions, which The Athletic breaks down with a look at the winners, losers and those still to be determined after the draft.—
Joseph Person,
New York Times,
30 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Kane has tormented Los Angeles in the playoffs, scoring 12 goals against them in the postseason over the past three seasons.—
Ben Verbrugge,
MSNBC Newsweek,
23 Apr. 2025
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The trailer goes on to offer a light tease of the film’s actual plot, which centers around Stefanie, a college student who returns home to find the one person that might be able to help her family avert the looming shadow of Death that’s been tormenting them for generations.—
Jon Blistein,
Rolling Stone,
25 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Others will be anguishing over Irving (John Turturro) and Burt (Christopher Walken), whose respective and collective fates weren’t addressed at all.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
21 Mar. 2025
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And yet, the film has a pretty expert ensemble — Kevin Spacey won the Oscar, but Annette Bening was even more deserving — and Conrad Hall’s photography captures all the shiny surfaces that contrast with the characters’ anguished inner worlds.—
Will Leitch,
Vulture,
3 Mar. 2025
Verb
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In a video posted to his Truth Social platform in December 2023, Trump accused the FBI and DOJ of sending undercover spies to churches to persecute people of faith.—
Ross Rosenfeld,
MSNBC Newsweek,
23 Apr. 2025
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The statement concluded with an expression of solidarity with Christians who are persecuted.—
Chloe Breyer,
New York Daily News,
21 Apr. 2025
Verb
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But the final 22 minutes of Game 5 demonstrated the same weaknesses that plagued Orlando for the entire season and throughout the playoff series.—
Josh Robbins,
New York Times,
30 Apr. 2025
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But this preoccupation may have been a way to offset the general malaise that plagued her.—
Elizabeth Djinis,
Smithsonian Magazine,
28 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Martyr.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/martyr. Accessed 5 May. 2025.
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