1
as in to plague
to cause persistent suffering to
people who were persecuted simply for practicing their religious faith
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 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
-
The rest of the cast comes with big question marks after injuries and inconsistency plagued this group last season.—
Harman Dayal,
New York Times,
7 Oct. 2025
-
Cobweb Eight-year-old Peter is plagued by a mysterious, constant tap, tap from inside his bedroom wall — a tapping that his parents insist is all in his imagination.—
Caitlin White,
Variety,
3 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
In practice, Musk bowed to authoritarian governments or banned critical journalists when their reporting annoyed him.—
Jacob Silverman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Oct. 2025
-
Joe proceeded to get drunk, annoy her (and multiple other cast members), and ultimately exit the party early to pass out in his room.—
Sydney Bucksbaum,
Entertainment Weekly,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
While there is no cure for West Nile virus, health officials said, supportive care in hospitals can help people afflicted with severe neuroinvasive symptoms.—
Cathie Anderson,
Sacbee.com,
6 Oct. 2025
-
Subsequent names didn't stick either, despite cases of this unusual form of diabetes continuing to surface, especially in areas afflicted with malnutrition.—
Jonathan Lambert,
NPR,
29 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Reviewing pages have been thinned by the forces of history and technology; few Pynchon skeptics anymore bother to take the time to read the novels and register their objections.—
Book Marks
October 2,
Literary Hub,
2 Oct. 2025
-
But Bob Say, owner of Los Angeles’ Freakbeat Records, for one, isn’t all that bothered.—
Roy Trakin,
Rolling Stone,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
This is the cost of having been tortured in public.—
Romina Ruiz-Goiriena,
USA Today,
4 Oct. 2025
-
The mistake tortures them, which prompts the couple to try and solve the mystery by producing a fake play in an attempt to get their ex-neighbor Mary (Chloe Cherry) to audition.—
Christian Zilko,
IndieWire,
3 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Always dilute apple cider vinegar with water and drink through a straw to avoid damaging tooth enamel and irritating the esophagus.—
Maggie O'Neill,
Verywell Health,
2 Oct. 2025
-
The decision by Aaron Turner, Kuminga’s agent, to go on a media tour in recent weeks while negotiating publicly in hopes of landing a better offer for Kuminga, irritated some with the organization, according to league sources.—
Nick Friedell,
New York Times,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
If your flower beds were besieged with pests or fungal diseases, the fallen leaf litter and stems from those plants should not be left in the garden.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
Southern Living,
4 Oct. 2025
-
Ruling an isolated, ruined, and besieged Gaza Strip will not get Hamas closer to this objective—but building up a strong political presence in the West Bank could, and accepting the latest proposal could free Hamas to do this.—
Hussein Ibish,
The Atlantic,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Daily Stride Comfort No-show Socks There is nothing that bugs me more than no-show socks that curl up underneath your foot minutes into wearing them.—
Melony Forcier,
Travel + Leisure,
5 Oct. 2025
-
At the end of the 19th century, Phylloxera bugs infected vineyards across Europe but a solution was found, and viticulture adapted and continued.—
Miguel A. Torres,
Time,
3 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Persecute.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/persecute. Accessed 9 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share