as in attacks
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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Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for martyrs
Verb
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Dennis waits until Mallory leaves to go on a bike ride, and then attacks her on the path.—
Erin Qualey,
Vulture,
29 May 2026 -
Nadal was diagnosed with Mueller-Weiss syndrome early in his career, a rare degenerative condition that attacks the navicular bone in the foot.—
Ava Wallace,
New York Times,
29 May 2026
Noun
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Bryant called on attendees to honor the sacrifices of past generational leaders like John Lewis by turning out to vote, emphasizing that Georgia's choices will set an example for the nation.—
Zachary Bynum,
CBS News,
31 May 2026
-
Her work has been touted nationally, but behind those accomplishments are sacrifices no one sees, said her son Paul Wilson.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
30 May 2026
Verb
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The retrospection tortures her.—
Alexandra Rockey Fleming,
PEOPLE,
14 Jan. 2026
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Later, in one of the movie's most satisfying scenes, Millie locks Andrew in the attic and tortures him by loudly smashing each plate.—
Lauren Huff,
Entertainment Weekly,
19 Dec. 2025
Noun
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The Trojans didn’t just climb out of the losers’ bracket.—
Jose de Jesus Ortiz,
Los Angeles Times,
4 June 2026
-
The Mercury will look to stop a six-game losing streak against the Storm, losers of three straight.—
Data Skrive,
New York Times,
3 June 2026
Verb
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Alexa Bliss, Charlotte Flair and Rhea Ripley after Jade Cargill torments Ripley.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
9 May 2026
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Benedict Cumberbatch stars as Phil, a spiteful rancher who torments his brother's (Jesse Plemons) new wife (Kirsten Dunst) and her sensitive teenage son, Peter (Kodi Smit-McPhee), against the backdrop of 1920s Montana.—
Kevin Jacobsen,
Entertainment Weekly,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
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China, which jails human rights activists in Hong Kong, persecutes Uyghurs, has killed hundreds of thousands of Tibetans and has committed genocide against the Falun Gong, is on the UN Human Rights Council.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
18 Feb. 2026
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In Russia, the civilian repressive apparatus persecutes the military, which leaps at every chance for revenge.—
Stephen Kotkin,
Foreign Affairs,
16 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Odd moment plagues fourth quarter As the Knicks held on to their fairly sizable lead, a fan ran onto the court, tried to take a selfie with Wembanyama but was quickly apprehended by security.—
Jacob Lev,
CNN Money,
4 June 2026
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Early has been significantly better on the road than at home this year, a problem that plagues the team as a whole.—
Gabrielle Starr,
Boston Herald,
3 June 2026
Verb
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The baby dogs will then be forced to play soccer to the death.—
Tony Maglio,
HollywoodReporter,
1 June 2026
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These furry caregivers aren’t the typical therapy dogs volunteers bring to hospitals to comfort patients.—
Laura Ungar,
Los Angeles Times,
26 May 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Martyrs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/martyrs. Accessed 6 Jun. 2026.
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