as in harassment
something that causes mental distress
The media's constant persecution was beginning to affect their lives.
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Examples of persecution in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
After the war, some Hmong fled, fearing persecution.
—
Giang Nguyen-Dien, The Conversation, 27 Sep. 2024
Most workers at this Dunbarton farm are refugees who have escaped harrowing wars and persecution.
—Nick Perry and Charles Krupa, The Christian Science Monitor, 19 Sep. 2024
The pronoun in question referred to Springfield’s Haitian community, and the claim repeated a conspiracy theory that had been circulating on the right-wing Internet, channelling the centuries-long persecution of Haitians and West Indians.
—Lauren Michele Jackson, The New Yorker, 19 Sep. 2024
When news broke nearly a year ago that about 75 refugees who fled their countries due to war or persecution were headed to the region — representing about 0.10% of Eau Claire’s population — Republicans introduced bills at the state and federal level designed to give local communities more say.
—Elliot Spagat, Chicago Tribune, 17 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for persecution 
Giang Nguyen-Dien, The Conversation, 27 Sep. 2024
Most workers at this Dunbarton farm are refugees who have escaped harrowing wars and persecution.
—Nick Perry and Charles Krupa, The Christian Science Monitor, 19 Sep. 2024
The pronoun in question referred to Springfield’s Haitian community, and the claim repeated a conspiracy theory that had been circulating on the right-wing Internet, channelling the centuries-long persecution of Haitians and West Indians.
—Lauren Michele Jackson, The New Yorker, 19 Sep. 2024
When news broke nearly a year ago that about 75 refugees who fled their countries due to war or persecution were headed to the region — representing about 0.10% of Eau Claire’s population — Republicans introduced bills at the state and federal level designed to give local communities more say.
—Elliot Spagat, Chicago Tribune, 17 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for persecution
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'persecution.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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“Persecution.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/persecution. Accessed 24 Oct. 2024.
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