as in attacking
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 martyring
Talking about potential attacks, martyring themselves for ISIS.
—
David J. Lopez, CNN Money, 4 Nov. 2025
David J. Lopez, CNN Money, 4 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for martyring
Verb
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Be sure that the rear lure always has a hook, as the bass typically key in on the ‘straggler’ when attacking a ball of bait.—
Derek Horner,
Outdoor Life,
16 Apr. 2026
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Other offences include attacking one victim on September 20, 2006 and another one in September 2016.—
Julie Sharp,
CBS News,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The cartel has been accused of using fake job advertisements to lure new members and of torturing and killing recruits who resist.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
10 Apr. 2026
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No such rules appear to exist for Saudi Arabia, whose leaders have been accused of arbitrarily arresting, jailing and torturing people who speak out against the government.—
Lia Russell,
Sacbee.com,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
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But so often left unsaid by Gu are the moral ambiguities that come with choosing to represent a country that has been heavily criticized by Human Rights Watch, among other watchdog groups, for denying rights of freedom of expression and for persecuting government critics.—
Zak Keefer,
New York Times,
17 Feb. 2026
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The term refers to biblical passages in which Jesus described Jews in specific communities who were persecuting the early Christians.—
Jennifer Berry Hawes,
ProPublica,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
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But the man hung himself, most likely due to Duncan tormenting him relentlessly like a jock pranking a nerd in an ‘80s campus comedy.—
Scott Tobias,
Vulture,
12 Apr. 2026
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With the help of journalist Gerrick Kennedy, the memoir details Brandy's meteoric rise to fame as a young teen while volleying ambition, exhaustion and self-doubt, moving through a predatory and tormenting industry and being misunderstood in the public eye.—
Taijuan Moorman,
USA Today,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Trump has singled out Moore for criticism, blaming him for a Potomac sewage spill, assailing his handing of Baltimore's bridge collapse and invoking a controversy over his military record.—
Francesca Chambers,
USA Today,
18 Feb. 2026
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Horvath, 43, has been one of the mayor’s most outspoken critics over the past year, assailing her record on homelessness and last year’s Palisades fire, which destroyed thousands of homes and left 12 people dead.—
David Zahniser,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Gene-drive technology might be able to make wildlife less likely to spread diseases such as the one afflicting the rabbits, or malaria.—
Alex Robinson,
Outdoor Life,
8 Apr. 2026
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For Yuldosheva and her neighbors, finding their landlord is one of many problems afflicting their six-story building near Yankee Stadium.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Israel tried to take over Gaza City before in this war, besieging it and launching raids in its streets, but tens of thousands of people remained.—
Aya Batrawy,
NPR,
5 Sep. 2025
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And while politicians know that there are costs to besieging an independent central bank – financial markets may react negatively or inflation may flare up – short-term control of a powerful policy tool can prove irresistible.—
Ana Carolina Garriga,
The Conversation,
26 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Avalanche fans don’t need to be cursing under their breath about winning the Presidents’ Trophy.—
Sean Keeler,
Denver Post,
19 Apr. 2026
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They were accused of minor infractions, such as cursing, missing a day of work or bringing a personal cellphone into the administration building.—
Erik Ortiz,
NBC news,
27 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Martyring.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/martyring. Accessed 23 Apr. 2026.
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