as in to afflict
to cause persistent suffering to
plagued by a cough for all of last week
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in epidemic
a widespread disease resulting in a high rate of death
the Black Death was a plague that killed about one third of Europe's population in the Middle Ages
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of plague
James Grebey, Vulture, 31 Jan. 2026
This data point is often weaponized by traditionalists, boxing our families into voiceless tropes that ignore systemic racism, which has plagued the Black community since the dawn of slavery.
—Ashley Simpo, Parents, 30 Jan. 2026
Editorial, Boston Herald, 25 Jan. 2026
From Agnes’ brutal childbirth scenes to the wrenching heartbreak when the plague hits their household and takes 11-year-old Hamnet (Jacobi Jupe), Zhao immerses you in Agnes and Will’s grief while also touching on their own individual internal tussles.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 22 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for plague
Verb
This tendency would plague many comic-book adaptations to follow; many of those movies didn’t have somebody as distinctive as Raimi in the director’s chair.
—James Grebey, Vulture, 31 Jan. 2026
This data point is often weaponized by traditionalists, boxing our families into voiceless tropes that ignore systemic racism, which has plagued the Black community since the dawn of slavery.
—Ashley Simpo, Parents, 30 Jan. 2026
Noun
Showering cash on teenagers and young adults with little credit history is a recipe for fiscal disaster and has also provided cover for the massive increases in tuition that plague so many four-year institutions of higher learning.
—Editorial, Boston Herald, 25 Jan. 2026
From Agnes’ brutal childbirth scenes to the wrenching heartbreak when the plague hits their household and takes 11-year-old Hamnet (Jacobi Jupe), Zhao immerses you in Agnes and Will’s grief while also touching on their own individual internal tussles.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 22 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for plague
Recent Examples of Synonyms for plague
Verb
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At least 32 deaths have been reported in states afflicted with severe cold, including two people run over by snowplows in Massachusetts and Ohio, fatal sledding accidents that killed teenagers in Arkansas and Texas, and a woman whose body was found covered in snow in Kansas.—
Russ Bynum,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Jan. 2026
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At least 30 deaths have been reported in states afflicted with severe cold, including two people run over by snowplows in Massachusetts and Ohio, fatal sledding accidents that killed teenagers in Arkansas and Texas, and a woman whose body was found covered in snow in Kansas.—
Dallas Morning News,
Dallas Morning News,
27 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The data reflect not only a complete turnaround from the pandemic but also a lasting improvement in the drug overdose epidemic, said Andrew Stokes, a researcher at Boston University.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
29 Jan. 2026
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Researchers say too many Americans are obese — and the epidemic will get worse.—
Phaedra Trethan,
USA Today,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Open Doors is a global Christian charity supporting Christians persecuted for their faith.—
Paul Tilsley,
FOXNews.com,
28 Dec. 2025
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Most commonly, people felt they were being persecuted via their electronics – that their Wi-Fi networks, computers or cellphones had been hacked or implanted with tracking devices.—
Alaina Vandervoort Burns,
The Conversation,
17 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
As an example, the celestial dog was thought to aid the sun in causing the intense heat, drought and pestilence of summer.—
Joe Rao,
Space.com,
23 Jan. 2026
-
Famines, pestilence, crusades, and war.—
Greg Grandin
September 23,
Literary Hub,
23 Sep. 2025
Verb
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And so even people who were heroes of the nation, they were beaten, tortured, taken for reeducation.—
Anne Applebaum,
The Atlantic,
23 Jan. 2026
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In 1980, the shah admitted to mistakes, including acknowledging that his regime had tortured Iranians.—
Eric Lob,
The Conversation,
23 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Pets could be impacted Additionally, products contaminated with filth, rodent excreta, and rodent urine may cause illness in the animals that consume the food or humans that are in contact with the products.—
Cheryl V. Jackson,
IndyStar,
29 Jan. 2026
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Kim Wood, the NFL's first full-time strength and conditioning coach, died Tuesday after battling a brief illness.—
Ryan Morik,
FOXNews.com,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The Windy City is suddenly besieged by a string of bomb threats, but in the midst of all the false alarms, a real situation emerges in the form of military-grade smoke grenades, which points to a terrorist threat.—
Will Harris,
Entertainment Weekly,
7 Jan. 2026
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Halladay said she’s heard from multiple doctors, including her child’s pediatrician, that they’ve been besieged with calls from parents hoping to get a prescription.—
Tom Bartlett,
The Atlantic,
19 Dec. 2025
Noun
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Its gritty texture helps repel pests like slugs and snails from your garden.—
Natalia Gonzalez Blanco Serrano,
The Spruce,
25 Jan. 2026
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Clean Up Indoor Clutter Removing clutter is essential for successful at-home pest and rodent control.—
Rae Ford,
Martha Stewart,
25 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Plague.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/plague. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
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