PERSECUTING Synonyms: 153 Similar and Opposite Words

persecuting

verb

Definition of persecuting next

present participle of persecute

as in plaguing

to cause persistent suffering to people who were persecuted simply for practicing their religious faith

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

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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 persecuting Behind the story One of the really big stories on my beat covering China for the last decade has been Beijing's intensive ramp-up in detaining and persecuting Uyghurs, a primarily Muslim ethnic minority. —

Brittney Melton, NPR, 26 May 2026 The South African government has denied persecuting the ethnic minority, composed of descendants of European settlers, mostly from the Netherlands. —

Camilo Montoya-Galvez, CBS News, 19 May 2026 Saddam towered over Iraq’s political regime for nearly 30 years, plunging the country into multiple destructive wars, persecuting his own citizens and inflicting widespread trauma and suffering. —

David Faris, TheWeek, 24 Apr. 2026 The order also accused the Cuban government of persecuting political opponents, suppressing free speech and the press, and committing other human rights violations—actions that have been documented by human rights organizations over the years. —

Chad De Guzman, Time, 17 Mar. 2026 But so often left unsaid by Gu are the moral ambiguities that come with choosing to represent a country that has been heavily criticized by Human Rights Watch, among other watchdog groups, for denying rights of freedom of expression and for persecuting government critics. —

Zak Keefer, New York Times, 17 Feb. 2026 The term refers to biblical passages in which Jesus described Jews in specific communities who were persecuting the early Christians. —

Jennifer Berry Hawes, ProPublica, 4 Feb. 2026 Troops are occupying our cities and persecuting our people. —

Maria Guinnip, Oklahoman, 21 Jan. 2026 Trump has repeatedly alleged that the South African government is actively persecuting white citizens, particularly farmers. —

Gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Nov. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for persecuting

Verb

She is backed by the local Democratic Socialists of America, and her challengers claim the district has suffered under under her leadership, pointing to MacArthur Park as emblematic of the homelessness and drug addiction crisis plaguing the city.

— Melissa Gomez, Los Angeles Times, 24 May 2026
The title of his third album, REDSTAR WU & THE WORLDWIDE SCOURGE, suggests an MCU movie in which our hero attempts to take on every problem plaguing the planet—and this time, Owusu isn’t giving his adversaries code names.

— Stuart Berman, Pitchfork, 19 May 2026