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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of persecute
He was not supposed to be deported due to a judge’s order based on a legitimate fear that he would be persecuted by a local gang.
—
Al Weaver, The Hill, 16 Apr. 2025
The Christian nationalist movement also shares many beliefs with far-right extremists who cite Bonhoeffer to justify violence, including the notion that Christians are being persecuted.
—John Blake, CNN Money, 13 Apr. 2025
Why not give us flesh-and-blood accounts of those who were persecuted to drive their plight home?
—EW.com, 4 Apr. 2025
Sold to the public as increasing transparency, the legislation has been utilized to persecute Georgia’s opposition and arrest dissidents with impunity.
—Anastasiya Zavyalova, The Conversation, 28 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for persecute
Al Weaver, The Hill, 16 Apr. 2025
The Christian nationalist movement also shares many beliefs with far-right extremists who cite Bonhoeffer to justify violence, including the notion that Christians are being persecuted.
—John Blake, CNN Money, 13 Apr. 2025
Why not give us flesh-and-blood accounts of those who were persecuted to drive their plight home?
—EW.com, 4 Apr. 2025
Sold to the public as increasing transparency, the legislation has been utilized to persecute Georgia’s opposition and arrest dissidents with impunity.
—Anastasiya Zavyalova, The Conversation, 28 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for persecute
Recent Examples of Synonyms for persecute
Verb
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But the final 22 minutes of Game 5 demonstrated the same weaknesses that plagued Orlando for the entire season and throughout the playoff series.—
Josh Robbins,
New York Times,
30 Apr. 2025
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But this preoccupation may have been a way to offset the general malaise that plagued her.—
Elizabeth Djinis,
Smithsonian Magazine,
28 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Seiders, 44, is charged with felony child pornography possession, misdemeanor annoying a child under 18, concealing a camera with intent to invade privacy and attempting to conceal a camera.—
Richard Winton,
Los Angeles Times,
18 Apr. 2025
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What annoyed me was good old-fashioned stupid gameplay.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
17 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Protectionists presented tariffs as the essential policy to quicken the development of manufactures as well as a remedy to the social ills that afflicted the emerging industrial working class.—
Made by History,
Time,
28 Apr. 2025
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But the malady afflicting much of the Dodgers lineup seems to have infected the third baseman with a particularly virulent strain.—
Steve Henson,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Scarlett Johansson's Black Widow was popular enough that fans wanted a solo story, but the studio didn't bother to make it until her character was already dead in the major timeline, then skipped the theatrical release, which Johansson sued them about.—
Elizabeth Logan,
Glamour,
19 Apr. 2025
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So much so that Gillaspie didn’t bother to even grab a towel last summer when a pitching coach yelled into the visiting showers to alert him that Triple-A El Paso manager Pete Zamora needed to see him.—
Jeff Sanders,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
17 Apr. 2025
Verb
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He was allegedly held in a clandestine detention site and tortured by intelligence agents.—
Antonio Maria Delgado,
Miami Herald,
30 Apr. 2025
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The lowdown: Jeanty reminded me so much of LaDainian Tomlinson during my evaluation process, which is interesting now, considering how much L.T. used to torture the Raiders.—
Eddie Brown,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
28 Apr. 2025
Verb
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This can be particularly irritating to eczema-prone skin.—
Sierra Leone Starks,
Allure,
18 Apr. 2025
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Pairing some active ingredients can irritate the skin, and other combinations may reduce the effectiveness of the ingredients.1 1.—
Lindsay Curtis,
Verywell Health,
18 Apr. 2025
Verb
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And while politicians know that there are costs to besieging an independent central bank – financial markets may react negatively or inflation may flare up – short-term control of a powerful policy tool can prove irresistible.—
Ana Carolina Garriga,
The Conversation,
18 Apr. 2025
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The attack prompted many Americans to vent their dislike of the nation’s for-profit health system, and made Mr. Mangione a visible foil for an administration that says radicals are besieging the nation.—
Hurubie Meko,
New York Times,
10 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Meanwhile, Curry is 37 and played Sunday with his right thumb wrapped in athletic tape, nursing an ailment that has bugged him all season.—
Evan Webeck,
Mercury News,
13 Apr. 2025
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And for me, nothing bugs me more than engaging in social activities to check the box rather than making meaningful connections.—
Time,
Time,
7 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Persecute.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/persecute. Accessed 4 May. 2025.
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