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
Farah N. Jan, The Conversation, 2 Mar. 2026
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
Beth Bailey, FOXNews.com, 22 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
Iran, with its sophisticated military, near-nuclear capability, proxy networks spanning the region and a regime now martyred by foreign attack, will likely not be the exception.
—Farah N. Jan, The Conversation, 2 Mar. 2026
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
Noun
The most serious revelation from the martyr list is Fadi al-Wadiyya, a physiotherapist for Médecins sans frontières, who was killed by Israel Defense Forces in June 2024.
—Beth Bailey, FOXNews.com, 22 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
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Democrats have attacked these anti-fraud policies as an effort to undermine safety net programs for the impoverished.—
Editorial,
Boston Herald,
30 Apr. 2026
-
The latest war erupted on March 2, when, after holding its fire since a 2024 truce, Hezbollah launched a surprise barrage of missiles into northern Israel in retaliation for the United States and Israel attacking Iran.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The United States is now witnessing the unraveling of nearly a century of organizing, civil disobedience and personal sacrifice by ordinary people who helped build Black political power to heights unseen since Reconstruction.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
2 May 2026
-
Twelve Marylanders were honored Friday for giving the ultimate sacrifice to protect our communities in their time of need.—
Ashley Paul,
CBS News,
1 May 2026
Verb
-
Najib was in that position in 2011 when teenagers who scrawled antigovernment graffiti on a school wall in Daraa were arrested and tortured.—
Ghaith Alsayed,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Apr. 2026
-
Towns tortured the Hawks, scoring 20 points, grabbing 10 rebounds and dishing out 10 assists, marking the first triple-double of his playoff career.—
James L. Edwards III,
New York Times,
26 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Silver is essentially turning the draft lottery into a system where the biggest losers do not get the biggest rewards.—
Alejandro Avila OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
29 Apr. 2026
-
If drivers saddled with pricey fees at the pump have been one of the biggest economic losers of the war in the Middle East, the companies selling that gasoline have emerged as the conflict’s clear winner.—
Tristan Bove,
Fortune,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Hokum gives you a taste of one tormented scribe’s fiction before introducing you to the man behind the keyboard.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
30 Apr. 2026
-
However, no ransom was ever paid, and no proof of life was ever produced, which has left Clemente to theorize that perhaps Nancy was kidnapped to torment her family.—
Lizzie Lanuza,
StyleCaster,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Hong Kong is an anguishing example.—
Michelle Kuo,
The Dial,
14 Apr. 2026
-
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
Verb
-
Walker, however, agreed with the majority that the president cannot deport migrants to countries where they will be persecuted or strip them of mandatory procedures that protect against their removal.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
25 Apr. 2026
-
Walker, however, agreed with the majority that the president cannot deport migrants to countries where they will be persecuted or strip them of mandatory procedures that protect against their removal.—
Michael Kunzelman,
Chicago Tribune,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Rumors of affairs plague all royals, even those no longer with us.—
Lizzie Lanuza,
StyleCaster,
2 May 2026
-
The document outlines steps to address failures in the agency’s affordable housing programs and financial reporting that have plagued the agency since 2019.—
R.A. Schuetz,
Houston Chronicle,
1 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Martyr.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/martyr. Accessed 4 May. 2026.
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