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
-
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
-
Jody Allen should not appear on a list of the NFL’s biggest nuisances.—
Jerry Brewer,
New York Times,
4 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
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
-
The mind could wander briefly about the Giants riding a two-game winning streak into a Thursday Night Football matchup with the Eagles, equipped to knock off their tormentors who suddenly look vulnerable.—
Dan Duggan,
New York Times,
6 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
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
-
Sunflowers Sunflowers can be helpful and beautiful barrier plants set at the edges of a vegetable plot to attract beneficial pollinators and keep some pests at bay.—
Gemma Johnstone,
The Spruce,
4 Feb. 2026
-
However, any influx of pests may be cause for concern.—
Rae Ford,
Martha Stewart,
3 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The vehicle, as tends to be the case with teases like this, is covered in a camouflage wrap, its still possible to make out some intriguing details.—
Bryan Hood,
Robb Report,
27 Jan. 2026
-
Much like Zayn, there had, at times, been teases that Orton would be involved in the WWE title scene come WrestleMania 42.—
Blake Oestriecher,
Forbes.com,
25 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Cold-weather conditions can be a unique challenge even for the most meticulous cleaner, but a few adjustments can help prevent minor annoyances from becoming persistent problems.—
Katie Cloyd,
Martha Stewart,
4 Feb. 2026
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Congress used to debate authorizing such things, but with the GOP House and Senate now reduced to glorified White House staff offices, Trump need not trifle with such annoyances.—
Tom Nichols,
The Atlantic,
2 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Fewer accounts mean fewer chances for attackers to get in.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
3 Feb. 2026
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Damascus had asked Beirut to hand them over to continue their prison terms in Syria, but Lebanese judicial officials said Beirut would not release any attackers and that each must be studied and resolved separately.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
31 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Persecutors.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/persecutors. Accessed 10 Feb. 2026.
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