as in frightening
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Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for persecutive
Adjective
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But that depiction was picked apart by a vast array of online onlookers, from law enforcement experts to ordinary Instagram users, some of whom replayed the videos frame by frame and zoomed in to show the episode in frightening detail.—
Brian Stelter,
CNN Money,
25 Jan. 2026 -
The news this week that CPW employees are facing a variety of threats from radical elements in both groups of Coloradans strikes us as ironic sad — and frightening.—
The Denver Post Editorial Board,
Denver Post,
24 Jan. 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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Director Marianna Bassham loves working on pieces that are a bit scary.—
Courtney Cole,
CBS News,
27 Jan. 2026
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George Price wasn’t some scary underworld figure.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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This is a chilling history of a problem still ravaging significant swaths of America — not to mention elsewhere in the world.—
Declan Gallagher,
Entertainment Weekly,
31 Jan. 2026
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Those words may be the most chilling of all.—
Bill Goodykoontz,
AZCentral.com,
30 Jan. 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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But Isbell runs the race on a stark and formidable solo album and a batting average of six wins for eight nods (prior to this year’s three more).—
Craig Jenkins,
Vulture,
30 Jan. 2026
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Van Scoyoc and Cohen will be a formidable one-two duo for Palos Verdes.—
Eric Sondheimer,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Pregnancy and birth carry its own battles and terrifying statistics.—
Kayla Grant,
PEOPLE,
31 Jan. 2026
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The editorial board then throws in the new scare tactic for good measure at the end, claiming that there is some terrifying epidemic of puking, screaming and hospitalizations as the result of THC use (relying on spotty data, none of which has been linked to THC beverages).—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
31 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Huw is also a terrible planner, placing himself in dangerous situations for no discernible reason, refusing to ask for help or call the police at times when calling the police is the most glaringly obvious move, and generally not communicating with anyone.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
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At age 55, Riggle once suffered through decades of heartbreak and terrible Chiefs teams.—
Pete Grathoff,
Kansas City Star,
29 Jan. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Persecutive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/persecutive. Accessed 3 Feb. 2026.
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