1
as in to plague
to cause persistent suffering to
people who were persecuted simply for practicing their religious faith
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to annoy
to disturb the peace of mind of (someone) especially by repeated disagreeable acts
she likes to persecute her sister with pointless, annoying questions at very inopportune times
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of persecute
Leatherface attacks, but the real villains turn out to be the townsfolk who persecuted the Sawyers after the original massacre.
—
Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 21 Sep. 2025
The former human-rights lawyer entered on a tourist visa and filed for political asylum in October of that year, claiming the governments that succeeded Correa were persecuting him.
—Syra Ortiz Blanes, Miami Herald, 12 Sep. 2025
The decree eliminated many of the civil liberties in Germany, opening the way for the Nazis to persecute their opponents.
—The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 9 Sep. 2025
More and more, people who have loyally served Putin’s system are being persecuted, mainly on the grounds of corruption.
—Andrei Kolesnikov, Foreign Affairs, 8 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for persecute
Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 21 Sep. 2025
The former human-rights lawyer entered on a tourist visa and filed for political asylum in October of that year, claiming the governments that succeeded Correa were persecuting him.
—Syra Ortiz Blanes, Miami Herald, 12 Sep. 2025
The decree eliminated many of the civil liberties in Germany, opening the way for the Nazis to persecute their opponents.
—The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 9 Sep. 2025
More and more, people who have loyally served Putin’s system are being persecuted, mainly on the grounds of corruption.
—Andrei Kolesnikov, Foreign Affairs, 8 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for persecute
Recent Examples of Synonyms for persecute
Verb
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However, Paramount is grappling with the same issues that are plaguing other media giants.—
Brent Lang,
Variety,
27 Oct. 2025
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Injuries plagued Los Angeles all season.—
Shaun McAvoy,
MSNBC Newsweek,
27 Oct. 2025
Verb
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While Johnson had plenty to be pleased with, he was annoyed by the number of penalties and said the offense has to do a better job of running the football.—
Lou Ponsi,
Oc Register,
25 Oct. 2025
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They’re built not to resist developers but, as their name suggests, they’re intentionally designed, with a degree of malice, to annoy someone specific.—
Lilit Marcus,
CNN Money,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
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For now, Poulsen is much more worried about how the nation’s poultry and dairy agriculture systems will withstand the virus continuing to afflict the animals these industries rely on.—
Meghan Bartels,
Scientific American,
24 Oct. 2025
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Even though this can afflict regular sandwiches as well, my Picklewiches definitely suffered from it more.—
Caroline Tien,
SELF,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Not the kind of thrift store that’s actually thrifty, but the kind of thrift store that doesn’t have any price tags because the people who can afford to shop there don’t need to bother themselves with price tags.—
Lex Goldstein,
PEOPLE,
23 Oct. 2025
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Being a double Viking with Swedish and Norman blood on each side of my family, the cold never bothered me.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
23 Oct. 2025
Verb
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In another film with a less happy outcome, the woman who claims to be the amnesiac’s wife is an impostor who ends up torturing him.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
24 Oct. 2025
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Khaled was briefly transferred to Ofer Prison, where Adnan al-Bursh, an orthopedic surgeon who once led Gaza’s Al-Shifa Hospital, had died in 2024, after being tortured.—
Mosab Abu Toha,
New Yorker,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The formula was comfortable and didn’t irritate my skin or leave any residue.—
Essence,
Essence,
28 Oct. 2025
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The lord didn’t much care for that, which of course only made Heinzelmann want to irritate him further.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Made in Italy is besieged, and action must be taken to safeguard the local supply chain and its reputation.—
Martino Carrera,
Footwear News,
24 Oct. 2025
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Since its municipal establishment in 2018, Roku City has been a metropolis intermittently besieged by mythical creatures including a kraken, a big robot, and a Godzilla-like kaiju.—
Rebecca Alter,
Vulture,
14 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Both can reduce debris or items that attract the boxelder bugs.—
Nafeesah Allen,
Better Homes & Gardens,
23 Oct. 2025
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Chinch bugs overwinter in moist, deep thatch.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
Southern Living,
17 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Persecute.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/persecute. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.
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