as in frightening
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Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for persecutive
Adjective
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Nate was a compelling, complex antagonist for Euphoria’s first two seasons, but this season has seen the man brutalized by frightening criminals who make his mind games look like child’s play.—
Dani Di Placido,
Forbes.com,
25 May 2026 -
But that only made things slightly less frightening.—
Shania Russell,
Entertainment Weekly,
25 May 2026
Adjective
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For example, Americans living during World War II developed persecutory delusions involving Germans, while those living during the Cold War focused on communists.—
Alaina Vandervoort Burns,
The Conversation,
17 Dec. 2025
Adjective
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That’s precisely Dumont’s intention — freedom is fun and scary — but the choice is sure to raise eyebrows among critics of the director, who has historically been called out for his work with nonprofessional actors.—
Beatrice Loayza,
Variety,
25 May 2026
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There’s no better time to swap scary stories than when the wind is howling and candles are flickering.—
Orlando Sentinel Staff,
The Orlando Sentinel,
24 May 2026
Adjective
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One year before his television empire began with Yellowstone, Taylor Sheridan wrote and directed this absorbing neo-Western mystery about the chilling death of an 18-year-old Native American young woman.—
Kevin Jacobsen,
Entertainment Weekly,
22 May 2026
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The coroner’s report is chilling, listing multiple factors besides cardiac arrest that figured in her death.—
Christopher Bonanos,
Curbed,
22 May 2026
Adjective
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The first complaint, in which a clerk made similar accusations of abusive and harassing conduct, was filed with the circuit court in 2022, not long after Merriam’s appointment.—
Edmund H. Mahony,
Hartford Courant,
1 Jan. 2026
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The line is crossed when someone’s conduct at work becomes disrespectful, harassing, intimidating, discriminatory, or disruptive to the team.—
Johnny C. Taylor Jr,
USA Today,
30 Dec. 2025
Adjective
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The Cuban military, once a formidable expeditionary force during Cold War campaigns in Africa, now struggles with chronic fuel shortages, aging equipment, limited mobility and poor readiness, Pérez said.—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
28 May 2026
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The elder Jackson, one of Chicago’s most famous civil rights icons, died in February and left his formidable organization to his son Yusef.—
Alice Yin,
Chicago Tribune,
28 May 2026
Adjective
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For Orlo Vista residents, the disaster unfolded with terrifying speed.—
Greg Bennett,
The Orlando Sentinel,
24 May 2026
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Nicholls opened Rockwater not long after Cyclone Pam, a terrifying storm that churned through Vanuatu and inflicted $600 million in damage.—
Christopher Elliott,
Forbes.com,
23 May 2026
Adjective
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Mayor and Governor are terrible.—
Corky Siemaszko,
NBC news,
28 May 2026
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From scandals, to corny tactics and platforms, to terrible analysis, this gubernatorial race has been a contest to forget.—
Matt Fleming,
Oc Register,
27 May 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Persecutive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/persecutive. Accessed 30 May. 2026.
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