1
as in torturers
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 nuisances
one who is obnoxiously annoying
on this flight my airline-appointed persecutor was a chattering nitwit who could not stop talking about himself
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of persecutors
Shakespeare humanizes the Elizabethan stage stereotype of the villainous Jew by giving Shylock ample reason for wanting to get back at his Christian persecutors.
—
Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 17 Jan. 2026
Amish are part of the wider Anabaptist movement, which puts heavy emphasis on Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, containing some of his most radical and counter-cultural sayings — to love enemies, live simply, bless persecutors, turn the other cheek and to endure sufferings joyfully.
—Dave Smith, Fortune, 30 Oct. 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
Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 17 Jan. 2026
Amish are part of the wider Anabaptist movement, which puts heavy emphasis on Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, containing some of his most radical and counter-cultural sayings — to love enemies, live simply, bless persecutors, turn the other cheek and to endure sufferings joyfully.
—Dave Smith, Fortune, 30 Oct. 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 persecutors
Noun
-
The prisoners got out and the saw the torturers.—
Scott Roxborough,
HollywoodReporter,
21 Jan. 2026
-
As my experience showed, a heavy reliance on physical abuse makes for proficient torturers, not skilled interrogators.—
Elizabeth Tsurkov,
The Atlantic,
11 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Property owners who tolerate habitual nuisances will have to meet certain standards set by the city and pay fees to reimburse the city for enforcement resources.—
Matthew Adams,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
24 Feb. 2026
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Barry said the new penalties are being enacted to coincide with the town’s passage of new rules dealing with nuisances and stormwater issues.—
Jim Woods,
Chicago Tribune,
7 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
If the tormenters keep it up, grackles do eventually move.—
Michael Barnes,
Austin American Statesman,
18 Feb. 2026
-
And her tormentors are all abruptly, painfully departing the scene or, at the very least, becoming ensnared in one humiliation after another.—
Howie Carr,
Boston Herald,
16 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Moreover, when harassers disproportionately target women, people of color and LGBTQ officials, entire communities are systematically excluded from participation in self-governance.—
Ernestine Nettles,
Mercury News,
22 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Updating your flooring can prevent pests, make your home more stable, and increase your resale value.—
Timothy Dale,
The Spruce,
25 Feb. 2026
-
Leafy greens like head and leaf lettuce, spinach, and kale typically have very few pests aside from slugs early in the growing season and require very little input beyond abundant water and nitrogen.—
Anthony Reardon,
Kansas City Star,
25 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Rashada’s recruitment played out in cryptic Twitter teases from a booster, Hugh Hathcock, and behind the scenes in text messages with eyeball emojis.—
Matt Baker,
New York Times,
19 Feb. 2026
-
As winter lingers and spring teases, Stewart reveals how home gardeners can make the most of this in-between moment.—
Maddie Topliff,
Better Homes & Gardens,
18 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Most people use reviews to seek out pleasures and avoid annoyances.—
Sophie Spiegelberger,
New Yorker,
24 Feb. 2026
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The best affordable pet products are ones that solve everyday annoyances—like odor, shedding, scratch damage, messy mealtimes or anxious behaviors.—
Kasey Caminiti,
USA Today,
20 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Perry opened the door to Figueroa's van, while the other two attackers opened the front and rear passenger side doors, prosecutors said.—
Shardaa Gray,
CBS News,
25 Feb. 2026
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Ten years after a woman was raped by two men in Tamarac, DNA evidence has led to the arrest of one of her attackers, the Broward Sheriff’s Office said Wednesday.—
Sofia Saric,
Miami Herald,
25 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Persecutors.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/persecutors. Accessed 3 Mar. 2026.
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