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
Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 28 Aug. 2025
But closer to me, and with greater incident, these phrases are inflected by the voice of Hiba Abu Nada, the Gazan poet who was martyred in an Israeli airstrike on October 20, 2023.
—Huda Fakhreddine
august 28, Literary Hub, 28 Aug. 2025
Sam Kestenbaum, Vulture, 2 Jan. 2026
Kali grabs a gun, which doesn't make matters any better, but Hopper is insistent that El promise not to be a martyr.
—Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 31 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for martyr
Verb
His desperate, lacerating Teddy is a character who has ruined his own life, who has martyred himself out of his devotion to The Truth.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 28 Aug. 2025
But closer to me, and with greater incident, these phrases are inflected by the voice of Hiba Abu Nada, the Gazan poet who was martyred in an Israeli airstrike on October 20, 2023.
—Huda Fakhreddine
august 28, Literary Hub, 28 Aug. 2025
Noun
This new Evangelicalism may be exemplified by Charlie Kirk, whose murder transformed the Turning Point head into an instant martyr and sparked calls for a traditionalist revival.
—Sam Kestenbaum, Vulture, 2 Jan. 2026
Kali grabs a gun, which doesn't make matters any better, but Hopper is insistent that El promise not to be a martyr.
—Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 31 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for martyr
Recent Examples of Synonyms for martyr
Verb
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In severe cases, the virus can attack parts of the brain that control basic life functions like eye movement, heart rate and blood pressure, causing permanent damage.—
Michal Ruprecht,
CNN Money,
30 Jan. 2026
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Ukraine's air force said that Russia attacked overnight with one ballistic missile and 146 strike drones, 103 of which were shot down or destroyed using electronic warfare.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
29 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Many food establishments around the country nonetheless deemed the sacrifice worthwhile today, joining a nationwide strike against ICE’s mass deportations and violence against protesters in Minneapolis and across the country.—
Sam Stone,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
30 Jan. 2026
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Closing on Friday was a sacrifice for Cafe’Ciro since it was already closed for three days over the past week due to the winter storm.—
Imelda García,
Dallas Morning News,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
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And so even people who were heroes of the nation, they were beaten, tortured, taken for reeducation.—
Anne Applebaum,
The Atlantic,
23 Jan. 2026
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In 1980, the shah admitted to mistakes, including acknowledging that his regime had tortured Iranians.—
Eric Lob,
The Conversation,
23 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Many people envision salary discussions as adversarial encounters with winners and losers.—
Kwame Christian Esq,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
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Picking winners and losers, heroes and villains, pathways to success and failure, generates excitement for an event and manufactures a sense of urgency for maximal viewing pleasure.—
Brady Brickner-Wood,
New Yorker,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The self-torturing helices of thought twisting inside the young minds on the courts are no less fraught than the recursive neuroses tormenting the addicts down the hill.—
Hermione Hoby,
New Yorker,
26 Jan. 2026
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Not because the full-court press tormented the Longhorns — Texas (11-7, 2-3 SEC) only turned the ball over eight times.—
David Eckert,
Austin American Statesman,
17 Jan. 2026
Verb
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First, Monty Miller (a suave, anguished Jon Hamm), Tommy’s lifelong friend and billionaire founder of M-Tex, dies suddenly, but not before naming the fixer as the new company president.—
Michael M. Rosen,
The Washington Examiner,
9 Jan. 2026
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There is a mood to these stories, sardonic and anguished in turn, that gets under your skin.—
Emma Alpern,
Vulture,
2 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Open Doors is a global Christian charity supporting Christians persecuted for their faith.—
Paul Tilsley,
FOXNews.com,
28 Dec. 2025
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Most commonly, people felt they were being persecuted via their electronics – that their Wi-Fi networks, computers or cellphones had been hacked or implanted with tracking devices.—
Alaina Vandervoort Burns,
The Conversation,
17 Dec. 2025
Verb
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But for decades, sections of it have been plagued by the dumping of toxic chemicals and untreated sewage.—
Rhea Mogul,
CNN Money,
1 Feb. 2026
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This has gradually caused difficulties in living her own life as she is plagued with violent memories.—
Kevin Jacobsen,
Entertainment Weekly,
31 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Martyr.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/martyr. Accessed 2 Feb. 2026.
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