1
as in tormenter
a person who causes repeated emotional pain, distress, or annoyance to another
years later his schoolyard persecutor would end up being one of his low-paid employees
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in nuisance
one who is obnoxiously annoying
on this flight my airline-appointed persecutor was a chattering nitwit who could not stop talking about himself
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of persecutor
The grounds once housed the elaborate palace of first century Roman Emperor Domitian, a persecutor of Christians.
—
Angie Leventis Lourgos, Chicago Tribune, 5 Sep. 2025
That is a nasty process which involves digging up Ambar’s still-fresh corpse, then subjecting it to various grisly indignities night after night as retribution gets visited upon our heroine’s persecutors.
—Dennis Harvey, Variety, 6 Aug. 2025
Using it to describe this week’s attack on Huwara – or other similar attacks in Israel or Palestine – effectively puts Israel in the place of the Jews’ historic persecutors.
—Joshua Shanes, The Conversation, 6 Mar. 2023
Angie Leventis Lourgos, Chicago Tribune, 5 Sep. 2025
That is a nasty process which involves digging up Ambar’s still-fresh corpse, then subjecting it to various grisly indignities night after night as retribution gets visited upon our heroine’s persecutors.
—Dennis Harvey, Variety, 6 Aug. 2025
Using it to describe this week’s attack on Huwara – or other similar attacks in Israel or Palestine – effectively puts Israel in the place of the Jews’ historic persecutors.
—Joshua Shanes, The Conversation, 6 Mar. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for persecutor
Noun
-
According to the California Penal Code, a nuisance can be charged as a misdemeanor.—
Sacbee.com,
Sacbee.com,
14 Sep. 2025
-
The recent interference with the European Commission President’s aircraft showed how quickly GPS denial can shift from nuisance to geopolitical signal.—
Kapil Kajal,
Interesting Engineering,
11 Sep. 2025
Noun
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For decades, generals, coup-plotters, and torturers walked free under the shield of amnesty laws passed after the country’s 21-year dictatorship.—
Julia Vargas Jones,
CNN Money,
12 Sep. 2025
-
Is the man actually his torturer?—
Zach Dennis,
Charlotte Observer,
9 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The quirky tease came on the heels of Doja making her debut as a Global Ambassador for MAC.—
Mya Abraham,
VIBE.com,
10 Sep. 2025
-
During the conversation, the Universal leader gave just a tease at what’s to come in the years ahead.—
Colson Thayer,
PEOPLE,
9 Sep. 2025
Noun
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One of my long-standing annoyances with macOS was the lack of control over the menu bar.—
Edward Mendelson,
PC Magazine,
15 Sep. 2025
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According to her, the girlfriend brushed off the refusal and signaled her annoyance.—
Ashley Vega,
PEOPLE,
10 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The documentary tells the true story of a teenage couple relentlessly bullied via text by an anonymous harasser.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
2 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The digital classroom created a virtual commons where strangers swap pest-control tips instead of partisan jabs.—
Jason Phillips,
USA Today,
10 Sep. 2025
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Like aphids and other soft-bodied pests, sawfly larvae will dry out or suffocate when covered in these products.—
Arricca Elin SanSone,
Southern Living,
10 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Adrianna had a history with Khloe Along with the Christmas photo, police flagged Adrianna over a prior dispute with Khloe, who believed she was being framed as Owen and Lauryn's tormentor.—
Emily Blackwood,
PEOPLE,
12 Sep. 2025
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The tormentor of a quarterback, whose two touchdown runs were eerily similar to those which fashioned Jeanty a household name and top 10 pick, makes the Bulls a larger blip on Florida’s radar than expected.—
Noah White,
Miami Herald,
6 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Persecutor.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/persecutor. Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.
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