1
as in plaguing
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 bothering
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 persecuting
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
For 25 years, Chavism has co-opted Venezuela's infrastructure for its own enrichment, persecuting journalists and opposition, wrecking the economy, and leaving its citizens in poverty.
—Kristina Foltz, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Sep. 2025
In July, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for two of the Taliban’s top leaders, accusing them of persecuting women and girls in Afghanistan, which the group dismissed.
—Astha Rajvanshi, NBC news, 5 Aug. 2025
Syra Ortiz Blanes, Miami Herald, 12 Sep. 2025
For 25 years, Chavism has co-opted Venezuela's infrastructure for its own enrichment, persecuting journalists and opposition, wrecking the economy, and leaving its citizens in poverty.
—Kristina Foltz, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Sep. 2025
In July, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for two of the Taliban’s top leaders, accusing them of persecuting women and girls in Afghanistan, which the group dismissed.
—Astha Rajvanshi, NBC news, 5 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for persecuting
Verb
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The outage adds to a series of high-profile technical and staffing issues plaguing the FAA this year.—
Martha McHardy,
MSNBC Newsweek,
20 Sep. 2025
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There's another mystery plaguing Morgan and her family in the Season 2 premiere.—
Kelly Lawler,
USA Today,
17 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Even scrambling around, his knee was bothering him.—
Michael Nowels,
Mercury News,
22 Sep. 2025
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There's other important bathroom etiquette travelers should keep in mind to avoid bothering flight attendants.—
Katie Nadworny,
Travel + Leisure,
16 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Those who dismissed intersectionality saw such policies as little more than allowing the disadvantaged to commit crimes without consequences to make up for past inequities, afflicting crime victims from the same disadvantaged communities.—
John Scott Lewinski,
The Washington Examiner,
5 Sep. 2025
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Americans live shorter lives than their European equivalents, McClatchy News reported in April, but the trend of stagnant life expectancy appears to be afflicting European nations the same, according to the study.—
Irene Wright,
Miami Herald,
2 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
A lot of noise around the Chiefs The Chiefs have become a mainstay in NFL discourse by winning three Super Bowls in the Mahomes era, and annoying an endless list of fan bases with their ability to overcome the odds and rally for a late win at an unprecedented rate.—
Scott Chasen,
Kansas City Star,
21 Sep. 2025
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The Sounders’ defenders swarmed Messi from the first minute, and midfielder Obed Vargas was particularly physical, annoying the Argentine icon time and again.—
Michelle Kaufman,
Miami Herald,
1 Sep. 2025
Verb
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And targeting, torturing, and murdering political opponents, rivals, and critics have marked the conflict since its beginning.—
Sean Durns,
The Washington Examiner,
12 Sep. 2025
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Jamie Simpson of Covington was sentenced in March to 60 years in prison for holding his wife captive and torturing her for hours before barricading himself inside her home in a lengthy standoff with police.—
Quinlan Bentley,
The Enquirer,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The positioning of Palace’s six attacking players inside the penalty area is another one.—
Ahmed Walid,
New York Times,
24 Sep. 2025
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Republicans were nearly unanimous about the danger of Democrats attacking ICE.—
David Weigel,
semafor.com,
24 Sep. 2025
Verb
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There are ingredients that can pose health risks (phthalates, formaldehyde), and others that are just potentially irritating to some (certain sulfates).—
Sophia Panych,
Allure,
16 Sep. 2025
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However, Agnes is dressed exactly like Wednesday and her Single White Female act is irritating the hell out of her hero.—
Jessica M. Goldstein,
Vulture,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Israel tried to take over Gaza City before in this war, besieging it and launching raids in its streets, but tens of thousands of people remained.—
Aya Batrawy,
NPR,
5 Sep. 2025
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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,
26 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Persecuting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/persecuting. Accessed 29 Sep. 2025.
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