as in frightening
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Recent Examples of persecutory
For example, Americans living during World War II developed persecutory delusions involving Germans, while those living during the Cold War focused on communists.
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Alaina Vandervoort Burns, The Conversation, 17 Dec. 2025
Alaina Vandervoort Burns, The Conversation, 17 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for persecutory
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
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But that only made things slightly less frightening.—
Shania Russell,
Entertainment Weekly,
25 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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Leaders everywhere were fearful of military action but still prepared for conflict in ways that almost guaranteed that, if hostilities were to break out in Europe, the Great Powers would get involved.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 May 2026
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The movie’s premise—parasocial obsession and manipulation disguised as romance—may have hit a nerve with younger audiences who are reportedly more fearful and less interested in romance.—
Mary Whitfill Roeloffs,
Forbes.com,
25 May 2026
Adjective
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And Kyle Busch himself won his first Cup championship in 2015 after suffering a broken right leg and a broken left ankle in a terrifying crash at Daytona.—
Mike Bianchi,
The Orlando Sentinel,
29 May 2026
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Robertson plays a beautiful rising but troubled Hollywood starlet who accepts what appears to be the perfect secluded retreat, only to uncover a terrifying web of secrets connected to the property’s mysterious caretaker and the haunting legacy hidden deep within its walls.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
28 May 2026
Adjective
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In a chilling sequence, Dennis ties a garbage bag over Mallory’s head and drags her into the woods.—
Erin Qualey,
Vulture,
29 May 2026
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Bobb believes the dogmatic way lawmakers talk about civics has had a chilling effect.—
Karissa Waddick,
USA Today,
29 May 2026
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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The impact of missing out on Guehi and then losing Leoni was accentuated by Joe Gomez’s fitness issues and Ibrahima Konate’s alarming downturn in form in the first half of the season.—
James Pearce,
New York Times,
28 May 2026
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Major chip manufacturers are increasingly supplying wafers to more lucrative data centers rather than the automotive industry, creating an alarming shortage of DRAM.—
Sarwant Singh,
Forbes.com,
27 May 2026
Adjective
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The concept that menopause is this horrible phase of life goes back some time.—
Torie Bosch,
STAT,
23 May 2026
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Despite Christophe’s many efforts to escape his origins, Clichy never portrays his home front as a horrible place, but rather as a loving household torn apart by financial worry and alcoholism.—
Jordan Mintzer,
HollywoodReporter,
22 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Persecutory.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/persecutory. Accessed 31 May. 2026.
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