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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The frightening encounter began several years ago when her daughter texted her from school complaining of pain just above her belly button.—
Ashley Vega,
PEOPLE,
5 June 2026
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Vampires, deadly disasters, and creeps are among those who help these frightening flicks scare the hell out of audiences.—
Wesley Stenzel,
Entertainment Weekly,
5 June 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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Carpenter says the disturbing encounters left her fearful for her safety and that of relatives living with her, as police label the suspect’s fixation irrational and increasingly dangerous.—
Emily St. Martin,
Los Angeles Times,
2 June 2026
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At the time, the diagnosis was much more taboo, discussed only with hushed, fearful voices.—
Luke Chinman,
PEOPLE,
29 May 2026
Adjective
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Inside the building, a terrifying hourslong ordeal was just beginning for those who couldn’t get out.—
Maria Aguilar Prieto,
CNN Money,
4 June 2026
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Some things in life are fundamentally different in ways that no one ever realizes ahead of time, and the amazing feeling of G-forces in my butt, very like flying on the ground, was at once a 10/10 gratifying and terrifying experience.—
Amber Harding OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
2 June 2026
Adjective
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Add crushed ice about halfway up and give a brief stir or swizzle, five to eight seconds, to begin the chilling process.—
Jeremy Repanich,
Robb Report,
6 June 2026
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The attack comes as the NYPD investigates a troubling string of chilling assaults against older New Yorkers.—
Thomas Tracy,
New York Daily News,
5 June 2026
Adjective
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Dealing with termites can be a scary burden, and a new report reveals some cities are more termite-prone than others.—
Michael Cappetta,
Travel + Leisure,
8 June 2026
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Flying on Broadway is often scary.—
Zach Helfand,
New Yorker,
8 June 2026
Adjective
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In other words, the idea, however alarming, has entered mainstream discourse.—
Hanna Ziady,
CNN Money,
4 June 2026
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This particular brand of freedom is clearly not serving us well, though, because one set of statistics after another continues to tell us that our mental health and wellbeing are plummeting in an alarming way.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 June 2026
Adjective
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The Savages’ social standing has dwindled to the point that only their equally horrible, grasping neighbors, the Bennetts (Richard McCabe and Vicki Pepperdine, both very funny), will fraternize with them.—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
4 June 2026
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Without an ecosystem of competitive bids like Kalshi's, the customer usually walks away with a horrible deal.—
Ananya Chetia,
CNBC,
3 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Persecutory.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/persecutory. Accessed 9 Jun. 2026.
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