as in persecuted
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 martyred
Charlie Kirk invited me to speak at Amfest a few weeks ago before he was martyred.
—
Mandy Taheri
jason Lemon, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Sep. 2025
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
Mandy Taheri
jason Lemon, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Sep. 2025
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for martyred
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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The Golden Globes have a history as convoluted and tortured as the ceremony is glitzy and wasted.—
Jackson McHenry,
Vulture,
12 Jan. 2026
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Bukele has disregarded due process and repealed term limits in El Salvador; according to Human Rights Watch, prisoners at CECOT are routinely tortured.—
Dexter Filkins,
New Yorker,
12 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Rabbi Perry Nussbaum, the congregation’s leader from the 1950s to the 70s, supported civil rights activists and helped found an interracial group of clergy to help rebuild Black churches attacked by white supremacists, according to the institute.—
Zoe Sottile,
CNN Money,
13 Jan. 2026
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And, the dog attacked again after the owner failed to secure the dog in a separate room.—
Adam Thompson,
CBS News,
13 Jan. 2026
Verb
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But Everton’s new recruitment structure would also do well to note that Brentford agreed the deal for their hat-trick hero Igor Thiago, who tormented the Toffees on Sunday, at the end of the 2024 winter transfer window.—
Greg O'Keeffe,
New York Times,
5 Jan. 2026
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Dominique Marceau, a young rebel accused of murder, was a complex and tormented character, which Bardot managed to imbue with depth and authenticity.—
Bianca Novembre,
Vanity Fair,
28 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Vernikov also assailed Mamdani's revocation of an Adams order that regulated protests at houses of worship.—
Ken Alltucker,
USA Today,
2 Jan. 2026
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DeSantis has continued his call to slash property taxes in the state, a proposal that Democrats have assailed as an unnecessary move that could threaten the delivery of basic local services.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
11 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Support for Bass is more mixed, with her current record containing many more failures than have afflicted either Lurie or any other recent Los Angeles mayor.—
Thomas D. Elias,
Oc Register,
8 Jan. 2026
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In most cases, the faithful afflicted by the evil one need only a comfortable chair (better if equipped with armrests) to accompany the exorcistic celebration.—
Rosa Lyster,
Harpers Magazine,
30 Dec. 2025
Verb
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The Windy City is suddenly besieged by a string of bomb threats, but in the midst of all the false alarms, a real situation emerges in the form of military-grade smoke grenades, which points to a terrorist threat.—
Will Harris,
Entertainment Weekly,
7 Jan. 2026
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Halladay said she’s heard from multiple doctors, including her child’s pediatrician, that they’ve been besieged with calls from parents hoping to get a prescription.—
Tom Bartlett,
The Atlantic,
19 Dec. 2025
Verb
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In 2002, The Ring cursed VHS tapes; in 2014, Unfriended made laptops frightening; and now, in 2026, A24’s Undertone is ready to create the world’s first skin-crawling movie about a podcast.—
Jason P. Frank,
Vulture,
8 Jan. 2026
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But winning the top CCA kudo could have cursed the film.—
Addie Morfoot,
Variety,
8 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Martyred.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/martyred. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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