as in harassment
something that causes mental distress
The media's constant persecution was beginning to affect their lives.
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
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 persecution
The Jaray family fled Nazi persecution in Austria and settled in London, where the artist built her career.
—
Devorah Lauter,
ARTnews.com,
25 June 2026
Anne Frank and her family went into hiding in Amsterdam to escape persecution by the Nazis.
—
USA Today,
24 June 2026
Parsis are their descendants, a people who fled religious persecution and built a life for themselves on India’s west coast.
—
Rhea Mogul,
CNN Money,
21 June 2026
Religious minorities have long faced persecution in Iraq.
—
ABC News,
18 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for persecution
Devorah Lauter,
ARTnews.com,
25 June 2026
Anne Frank and her family went into hiding in Amsterdam to escape persecution by the Nazis.
—
USA Today,
24 June 2026
Parsis are their descendants, a people who fled religious persecution and built a life for themselves on India’s west coast.
—
Rhea Mogul,
CNN Money,
21 June 2026
Religious minorities have long faced persecution in Iraq.
—
ABC News,
18 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for persecution
Recent Examples of Synonyms for persecution
Noun
-
Potential jurors questioned on harassment, retaliation A jury pools of roughly 300 Johnson County residents was whittled down to 110 on Monday morning before attorneys began their questions.
-
Ovitz had left the agency a few months before the alleged assault, but Ormond’s attorneys wanted to question him about his knowledge of Weinstein, the operations of CAA, and the culture of harassment in the industry, which Ovitz had referenced in his memoir.
Noun
-
Research shows over half of American travelers feel exhausted, with one in five admitting to booking a trip out of anger.
-
Newsom, eyeing a presidential run in 2028, has spoken in recent months about populist anger directed towards tech executives whose companies have earned billions while their products threaten to automate jobs out of existence and suck up precious environmental resources.
Noun
-
Ozone can cause respiratory irritation, trigger asthma attacks, worsen lung disease, harm lung tissue and even cause premature death.
-
In worst-case scenarios, application of expired makeup could lead to irritation, breakouts, or eye infections.
Cite this Entry
“Persecution.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/persecution. Accessed 1 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
