as in afflicts
to cause persistent suffering to
plagued by a cough for all of last week
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in epidemics
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of plagues
Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 20 Oct. 2025
Chapman’s tenure at the SBC Executive Committee from 1992 to 2009 encountered similar economic and political headwinds that plagues the SBC today, yet many Southern Baptists remember that time for Chapman’s determination to push past those hurdles for the sake of growing local churches.
—Liam Adams, Nashville Tennessean, 20 Oct. 2025
In 2014, the now 69-year-old actress spoke about experiencing menopause at a time when so few women publicly did so, often fearing the unfair combination of sexism and ageism that plagues many, especially in TV and film.
—Alexa Mikhail, Flow Space, 16 Oct. 2025
Every unit can be audited on a public ledger, reducing the opacity that plagues traditional finance.
—Luke Xie, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Oct. 2025
His voice already had that staticky, far-away quality that plagues international calls, which made Nakia fear he was gone for good.
—Literary Hub, 16 Sep. 2025
Everything that plagues Chicago also plagues America.
—Heidi Stevens, Chicago Tribune, 29 Aug. 2025
This temporary fix does nothing to resolve the chronic underfunding and instability that plagues these programs year after year.
—Dp Opinion, Denver Post, 6 Aug. 2025
And the majority of gun violence that still plagues our communities is committed with firearms trafficked from out of state — often from places with virtually no safeguards.
—Rebecca Fischer, New York Daily News, 5 Aug. 2025
Kate Bradshaw, Mercury News, 25 Sep. 2025
Verb
When an unexpected event takes him back to his hometown, he is reunited with his mother and old friends but also confronted by the corruption that plagues his country, sparking a political awakening.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 20 Oct. 2025
Chapman’s tenure at the SBC Executive Committee from 1992 to 2009 encountered similar economic and political headwinds that plagues the SBC today, yet many Southern Baptists remember that time for Chapman’s determination to push past those hurdles for the sake of growing local churches.
—Liam Adams, Nashville Tennessean, 20 Oct. 2025
In 2014, the now 69-year-old actress spoke about experiencing menopause at a time when so few women publicly did so, often fearing the unfair combination of sexism and ageism that plagues many, especially in TV and film.
—Alexa Mikhail, Flow Space, 16 Oct. 2025
Every unit can be audited on a public ledger, reducing the opacity that plagues traditional finance.
—Luke Xie, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Oct. 2025
His voice already had that staticky, far-away quality that plagues international calls, which made Nakia fear he was gone for good.
—Literary Hub, 16 Sep. 2025
Everything that plagues Chicago also plagues America.
—Heidi Stevens, Chicago Tribune, 29 Aug. 2025
This temporary fix does nothing to resolve the chronic underfunding and instability that plagues these programs year after year.
—Dp Opinion, Denver Post, 6 Aug. 2025
And the majority of gun violence that still plagues our communities is committed with firearms trafficked from out of state — often from places with virtually no safeguards.
—Rebecca Fischer, New York Daily News, 5 Aug. 2025
Noun
Sure, to be entirely historically accurate, negative things like plagues, beheadings and poverty would likely factor in to the villagers’ lives.
—Kate Bradshaw, Mercury News, 25 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for plagues
Verb
-
Recent research finds a similar curse afflicts National Football League teams that compete to acquire one of the top picks in its annual draft of new players.—
Emma Burleigh,
Fortune,
21 Oct. 2025
-
Motion sickness afflicts one in three adults and one in two children.—
Eric D. Lawrence,
USA Today,
9 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
That’s different that the crisis caused when formula produced by Abbott was linked to infant deaths and illnesses in 2022.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
9 Nov. 2025
-
For less severe illnesses, people will usually recover with rest and hydration.—
Maia Pandey,
jsonline.com,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Now, a sinister witch (Sarah Stephens) who bathes her broomstick in the woods tortures their existence, abducting their infant and leaving the family in shambles.—
Michael Lee Simpson,
Entertainment Weekly,
29 Oct. 2025
-
The mistake tortures them, which prompts the couple to try and solve the mystery by producing a fake play in an attempt to get their ex-neighbor Mary (Chloe Cherry) to audition.—
Christian Zilko,
IndieWire,
3 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The process of pruning involves removing dead, diseased, damaged, or crossing branches that can attract pests and be an entryway for diseases.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
7 Nov. 2025
-
Each branch employs technicians who understand the pests most common in their region, scorpions in the Southwest, ticks in the Midwest, or termites in the Southeast.—
Connie Etemadi,
USA Today,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
In a beat of levity that carries new weight, Geralt quietly curses afterward.—
JP Mangalindan,
Time,
30 Oct. 2025
-
Liam Perino curses in front of his parents.—
Matthew Shen Goodman,
Harpers Magazine,
19 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Plagues.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/plagues. Accessed 11 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share