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
Mark A. Cohen, Forbes.com, 12 May 2025
During the Victorian era, luminaries such as Wilkie Collins and Alfred, Lord Tennyson paid tribute to Franklin, eulogizing him as a martyr who sacrificed himself for the cause of scientific advancement.
—Meilan Solly, Smithsonian Magazine, 19 May 2025
Lucas Aulbach, The Courier-Journal, 24 Dec. 2024
He apparently was martyred in Azerbaijan, which is an interesting tidbit.
—Alice Burton, Vulture, 30 Aug. 2024
See All Example Sentences for martyr
Verb
The defendants are viewed as victims and martyrs of a politicized judicial process, not as guilty individuals who received fair trials.
—Mark A. Cohen, Forbes.com, 12 May 2025
During the Victorian era, luminaries such as Wilkie Collins and Alfred, Lord Tennyson paid tribute to Franklin, eulogizing him as a martyr who sacrificed himself for the cause of scientific advancement.
—Meilan Solly, Smithsonian Magazine, 19 May 2025
Noun
The myths are impossible to confirm hundreds of years later, Beach said, but the story is that Magnus was a Roman soldier who helped gather Christians to be martyred.
—Lucas Aulbach, The Courier-Journal, 24 Dec. 2024
He apparently was martyred in Azerbaijan, which is an interesting tidbit.
—Alice Burton, Vulture, 30 Aug. 2024
See All Example Sentences for martyr
Recent Examples of Synonyms for martyr
Verb
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This infection attacks your stomach lining and causes inflammation.—
Sayaka Blickenderfer,
Health,
28 June 2025
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Boone acknowledged that location will be key for Stroman, who can no longer attack hitters head-on at this stage of his career.—
Gary Phillips,
New York Daily News,
28 June 2025
Noun
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Further, there seems to be a strong internal culture that’s been built on hard work and sacrifice, which will be nurtured by having an experienced coach like Tocchet now overseeing the club.—
Kevin Kurz,
New York Times,
19 June 2025
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In those instances, sacrifices will have to be made.—
Katie Kilkenny,
HollywoodReporter,
18 June 2025
Verb
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Nicolás Maduro and his enforcers are running a criminal narco-terrorist dictatorship that jails political opponents, tortures dissidents, and crushes any hope of free expression.—
Rachel Wolf,
FOXNews.com,
27 June 2025
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An immigration judge determined that he would likely be persecuted or tortured if deported to Guatemala again, and granted him an order protecting him from removal.—
Solcyré Burga,
Time,
25 June 2025
Noun
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The winners of the Round of 16 games advance to the quarterfinals, while the losers move on to the classification games for places 9-16.—
Joe Arruda,
Hartford Courant,
29 June 2025
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Lee’s sensitive, evolving turn as Gi-hun — deeply human amid the madness, paranoia and murder set in bright green and pink surroundings — has made the character the ideal litmus test for Hwang’s critique of an economic system designed to produce titanic winners and losers who face annihilation.—
Michael Ordoña,
Los Angeles Times,
27 June 2025
Verb
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The supernatural thriller sees a woman return from death as a vindictive spirit to torment her adulterous husband.—
Andreas Wiseman,
Deadline,
26 June 2025
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Yet, as the story progresses, her backstory is fleshed out fully, revealing a woman still deeply tormented by a childhood incident.—
Aramide Tinubu,
Variety,
19 June 2025
Verb
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Mayor Ron Nirenberg said he and his wife, Erika Prosper, are anguished over the loss of life and hope anyone missing is found safe.—
Dennis Romero,
NBC news,
13 June 2025
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Where his previous projects were conflicted and often anguished, this one is celebratory.—
Kathryn VanArendonk,
Vulture,
23 May 2025
Verb
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With his penchant for menacing models, black-out contact lenses and jutting shoulders, Owens is also a forever torchbearer for different kinds of beauty, and a safe haven for people who feel persecuted for being outside the norm.—
Miles Socha,
Footwear News,
25 June 2025
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The regimes that persecute religious minorities are also the ones that oppress women, LGBTQ people, journalists, and dissidents.—
Nuri Kino,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 June 2025
Verb
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The last few projects have been plagued by delays and massive cost overruns.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
27 June 2025
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Pachuca’s failure plagued Salzburg as well, with the Austrian side needing a boost after things turned for the worse against Real Madrid, only to be denied – despite their social media admin’s best pleas.—
Liam Twomey,
New York Times,
27 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Martyr.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/martyr. Accessed 4 Jul. 2025.
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