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
Nbc News, NBC news, 22 Sep. 2025
McCoy's son and Kirk's former Chief of Staff Mike McCoy then said Kirk was a martyr.
—Elena Moore, NPR, 21 Sep. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for martyr
Verb
Religion and politics were central throughout the event, with speakers describing Kirk as both a Christian evangelist and a martyr.
—Nbc News, NBC news, 22 Sep. 2025
McCoy's son and Kirk's former Chief of Staff Mike McCoy then said Kirk was a martyr.
—Elena Moore, NPR, 21 Sep. 2025
Noun
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
See All Example Sentences for martyr
Recent Examples of Synonyms for martyr
Verb
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In the hands of editor Richard Mettler, some of those fragments serve montages that interlace how the tribes prepare to defend themselves with the way Jalabzeen readies himself to attack.—
Carlos Aguilar,
Variety,
2 Oct. 2025
-
Having attacked the edge of the six-yard box, Rodon has to back-pedal and meet the ball, again, wide of the goal.—
Beren Cross,
New York Times,
2 Oct. 2025
Noun
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For Chinese authorities, this was a story of national unity, collective sacrifice, and ultimate victory over the virus.—
Yangyang Cheng,
NPR,
4 Oct. 2025
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This was particularly present in the dynamic between Bobby's widow, Athena (Angela Bassett), and Chim (Kenneth Choi), who's alive because of Bobby's sacrifice.—
Randall Colburn,
Entertainment Weekly,
4 Oct. 2025
Verb
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This is the cost of having been tortured in public.—
Romina Ruiz-Goiriena,
USA Today,
4 Oct. 2025
-
The mistake tortures them, which prompts the couple to try and solve the mystery by producing a fake play in an attempt to get their ex-neighbor Mary (Chloe Cherry) to audition.—
Christian Zilko,
IndieWire,
3 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Sunday’s loser will see its playoff hopes realistically fade to black.—
Greg Cote
October 2,
Miami Herald,
2 Oct. 2025
-
However, one of the reasons the Red Sox were 4-3 losers to the Yankees is that Cora can’t pull a lever that’ll ensure that his players — such as, oh, Ceddanne Rafaela — deliver a sacrifice bunt in a key situation.—
Steve Buckley,
New York Times,
2 Oct. 2025
Verb
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In the past, that kind of small mistake would torment her for the rest of the day.—
Eileen Finan,
PEOPLE,
1 Oct. 2025
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In his country home, he is tormented by the reality that there are too many, and more coming, as two cats are pregnant.—
Rebecca van Laer
September 30,
Literary Hub,
30 Sep. 2025
Verb
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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
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Many times each day, and sometimes during the night, the old woman would bang on my door, anguished, calling out for her son: Peter, Peter!—
Miriam Toews
September 3,
Literary Hub,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Love for our enemies and love for those who persecute us.—
Fatma Tanis,
NPR,
21 Sep. 2025
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Leatherface attacks, but the real villains turn out to be the townsfolk who persecuted the Sawyers after the original massacre.—
Declan Gallagher,
Entertainment Weekly,
21 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The rest of the cast comes with big question marks after injuries and inconsistency plagued this group last season.—
Harman Dayal,
New York Times,
7 Oct. 2025
-
Cobweb Eight-year-old Peter is plagued by a mysterious, constant tap, tap from inside his bedroom wall — a tapping that his parents insist is all in his imagination.—
Caitlin White,
Variety,
3 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Martyr.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/martyr. Accessed 7 Oct. 2025.
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