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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Vitello said the agency tracks every time officers use force as well as any time someone attacks its officers.—
Rebecca Santana,
Chicago Tribune,
24 Aug. 2025 -
As the Xenomorph is about to kill him, Wendy attacks the beast with a hook.—
Christopher Rudolph,
People.com,
21 Aug. 2025
Noun
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The sacrifices came with expectations.—
Preston Fore,
Fortune,
15 June 2026
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Other supporting players include Adrian Lester as Dane Walter, a handler who barely bothers to shrug off news that, sometimes, sacrifices must be made.—
Whitney Friedlander,
Variety,
14 June 2026
Verb
-
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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Payouts for the runner-up and semifinal losers have also declined relative to the overall purse in the past decade, while the pool for the qualifying draws has nearly doubled over that span.—
Lev Akabas,
Sportico.com,
11 June 2026
-
The index is sharply lower on the session, with Samsung one of the biggest losers.—
Leonie Kidd,
CNBC,
10 June 2026
Verb
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Decades before Pennywise torments the Loser's Club, members of the Maine Legion of White Decency, a white supremacist group, set fire to the Black Spot, a military speakeasy catering to Black patrons, with all of its revelers trapped inside.—
Nick Romano,
Entertainment Weekly,
8 Dec. 2025
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Then there is Anna’s little brother (Ryan Malgarini), who constantly teases and torments her, yet Mom sticks up for him.—
Kirk Honeycutt,
HollywoodReporter,
12 July 2025
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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No, what plagues the Padres is so much deeper.—
Kevin Acee,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
4 June 2026
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Carney said antisemitism plagues Europe, Australia and the United States.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
2 June 2026
Verb
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In a nearly 10-minute long video, Pratt repeated social media posts that dogs on Skid Row are used to test drugs, are bred for drug money and are left in poor conditions by their unhoused owners, among other concerns about overcrowded, dirty shelters across the city.—
Sandra McDonald,
Los Angeles Times,
14 June 2026
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The idea that dogs graze to purge a sick stomach is one of the explanations owners reach for most.—
Niranjana Rajalakshmi,
Popular Science,
4 June 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Martyrs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/martyrs. Accessed 17 Jun. 2026.
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