molestation

noun

Definition of molestationnext
as in persecution

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of molestation Daley turned himself in on Monday and was charged with lewd and lascivious molestation of a victim 12 to 16 years old. — Milena Malaver, Miami Herald, 14 July 2026 As for Jamal, he was convicted of child molestation in 2023 and is currently serving a prison sentence in Georgia. — Liam Quinn, PEOPLE, 23 June 2026 Also in this week’s Screen Gab, our streaming recommendations include a series of brief historical videos that honor the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence and a Netflix documentary that revisits Michael Jackson’s 2005 child molestation trial. — Yvonne Villarreal, Los Angeles Times, 19 June 2026 The pre-trial hearing for Duggar's child molestation case has been set for July 14. — Sharareh Drury, Entertainment Weekly, 16 June 2026 Earlier this year, Queen of Martyrs substitute teacher Brett Smith, a 43-year-old Tinley Park resident, was fired and charged after a history of child molestation allegations came to light. — Evy Lewis, Chicago Tribune, 15 June 2026 An investigation ensued and the police report uncovered significant information concerning not just the molestation of me but of many other boys over the years. — Lori Riley, Hartford Courant, 14 June 2026 Jackson was charged in a separate child molestation case in 2003 and acquitted on all counts after a 2005 trial. — Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 12 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for molestation
  1. persecution
  2. torture
  3. harassment
  4. provocation
  5. torment
Noun
  • Romero challenged people to accompany the rural poor amid the violence and persecution of El Salvador’s civil war.
    — Gina Perez, The Conversation, 21 July 2026
  • When Ukrainians see books in their language being burned, some of them are reminded of a longer history of persecution, such as Catherine the Great’s ban in 1784 on Ukrainian-language church services.
    — Nikhil Krishnan, New Yorker, 20 July 2026
Definition of persecution
Noun
  • The violence and torture that took place in detention centers were also gendered, as women suffered abuses different from those to which men were subjected.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 24 July 2026
  • Naturally, the first question asks about his involvement in the crypto torture.
    — Tom Smyth, Vulture, 23 July 2026
Definition of torture
Noun
  • This strange and layered case is the subject of the documentary, A Toxic Love Story, out July 22 on Netflix, which recounts the events that led to uncovering Ian and Angela as the true sources of the harassment.
    — Olivia B. Waxman, Time, 22 July 2026
  • Abarca was further charged with two counts of harassment by telecommunications device in Hutchinson, Kansas municipal court in December, according to court records.
    — Ilana Arougheti July 21, Kansas City Star, 21 July 2026
Definition of harassment
Noun
  • France’s challenges came from external provocation, first the petulance of the Paraguayan team, but then comments widely condemned as racist by a Paraguayan politician.
    — Adam Crafton, New York Times, 16 July 2026
  • The disdain goes back decades and, as some Argentina fans evidently proved Tuesday, rowdiness does not require international provocation.
    — Tyler Estep, AJC.com, 15 July 2026
Definition of provocation
Noun
  • Sochor confessed to the crime, but her body has never been found − still a torment to her family.
    — Amanda Lee Myers, USA Today, 11 July 2026
  • By homing in on the psychological torment of winning the crown, the show offers a surprising detour from familiar carnage—while suggesting that disappointment over a seemingly ideal position can be as crushing as a defeat on the battlefield.
    — Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 6 July 2026
Definition of torment

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molest
molestation
molestations
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Cite this Entry

“Molestation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/molestation. Accessed 25 Jul. 2026.

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