as in harassment
something that causes mental distress
The media's constant persecution was beginning to affect their lives.
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Recent Examples of persecution
The life of Eva, a social democratic activist, gets off the rails, when civil war disrupts pre-fascist Vienna: Her young sons in foreign exile, her husband on the run, Eva keeps secretly fighting for her ideals and hiding people in threat of National Socialist persecution.
—
Marta Balaga, Variety, 6 Aug. 2025
What can be dizzying about the collection is the way traditional themes of Yiddish song and Hebrew liturgy — lyrics of resilience in the face of persecution, prayers of consolation for the brokenhearted, Lamentations read on Tisha B’Av — are recast with the Palestinians as their protagonists.
—Andrew Silow-Carroll, Sun Sentinel, 5 Aug. 2025
After the 1975 Communist takeover in Laos, the Hmong in that country faced tremendous persecution for collaborating with the US and fled en masse across the Mekong River into Thailand.
—Lisa Wong MacAbasco, Vogue, 4 Aug. 2025
Earlier this month the International Criminal Court sought arrest warrants for two of the top Taliban leaders, citing the persecution of women and girls as evidence of crimes against humanity.
—Li-Lian Ahlskog Hou, CNN Money, 22 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for persecution
Marta Balaga, Variety, 6 Aug. 2025
What can be dizzying about the collection is the way traditional themes of Yiddish song and Hebrew liturgy — lyrics of resilience in the face of persecution, prayers of consolation for the brokenhearted, Lamentations read on Tisha B’Av — are recast with the Palestinians as their protagonists.
—Andrew Silow-Carroll, Sun Sentinel, 5 Aug. 2025
After the 1975 Communist takeover in Laos, the Hmong in that country faced tremendous persecution for collaborating with the US and fled en masse across the Mekong River into Thailand.
—Lisa Wong MacAbasco, Vogue, 4 Aug. 2025
Earlier this month the International Criminal Court sought arrest warrants for two of the top Taliban leaders, citing the persecution of women and girls as evidence of crimes against humanity.
—Li-Lian Ahlskog Hou, CNN Money, 22 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for persecution
Recent Examples of Synonyms for persecution
Noun
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For those on the fringes of the fan protest, maintaining the anger to rally against those in charge probably becomes harder in those circumstances.—
Laurie Whitwell,
New York Times,
14 Aug. 2025
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Rodgers said that Wong, during a psychological evaluation while in custody, denied having problems controlling his anger and said he’s never been verbally abusive, threatening or violent when angry.—
Nick Ferraro,
Twin Cities,
13 Aug. 2025
Noun
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However, if eaten in large enough quantities, clover may cause skin irritation or upset stomach.—
Hallie Milstein,
Southern Living,
11 Aug. 2025
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For context, a 4-decibel reduction is sufficient to noticeably reduce the irritation caused by street noise, especially in densely populated urban areas.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
6 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Persecution.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/persecution. Accessed 21 Aug. 2025.
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