as in afflicting
to cause persistent suffering to
plagued by a cough for all of last week
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Recent Examples of plaguing
The Bureau of Engineering selected Tetra Tech, a global engineering firm, to fortify and relight the stretch of road that connects downtown Los Angeles to Boyle Heights, which has essentially gone dark due to the amount of copper theft plaguing the area.
—
Dean Fioresi, CBS News, 19 Feb. 2026
The decibel drama proved, intentionally or not, to be a deflection from the far more pressing issues plaguing the UConn men’s basketball team at the moment, despite a 24-3 record for which most any Huskies fan would have signed on the dotted line when the season began.
—Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 19 Feb. 2026
In a thirty-three-day ramble along the Hudson and Connecticut rivers in 1791, Thomas Jefferson and James Madison encountered many of the issues that would end up plaguing the United States.
—Christopher Benfey, The New York Review of Books, 19 Feb. 2026
Even cursory nods to the pandemic as the root cause of neighbors turning against neighbors aren’t explored so much as they’re acknowledged, as if viewers are somehow unaware of the polarization plaguing America.
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 13 Feb. 2026
The House passed a bipartisan housing bill that would enact new policies to boost housing supply and ease the affordability crisis plaguing the nation.
—Zach Halaschak, The Washington Examiner, 10 Feb. 2026
Restaurants expanding reach Marcos Carbajal, owner of Carnitas Uruapan in the Little Village, Pilsen and Gage Park neighborhoods, has been vocal about the financial struggles plaguing his restaurant since federal immigration enforcement rippled through the city starting in September.
—Zareen Syed, Chicago Tribune, 4 Feb. 2026
Mayor Hogsett avoids police chief drama plaguing other cities, James Briggs argues.
—Joe Mutascio, IndyStar, 3 Feb. 2026
Kid Rock gave an impassioned testimony before the Senate Commerce Committee earlier today, addressing the ongoing issues plaguing the ticketing industry and the unfair practices employed at the expense of both artists and fans.
—Steven J. Horowitz, Variety, 28 Jan. 2026
Dean Fioresi, CBS News, 19 Feb. 2026
The decibel drama proved, intentionally or not, to be a deflection from the far more pressing issues plaguing the UConn men’s basketball team at the moment, despite a 24-3 record for which most any Huskies fan would have signed on the dotted line when the season began.
—Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 19 Feb. 2026
In a thirty-three-day ramble along the Hudson and Connecticut rivers in 1791, Thomas Jefferson and James Madison encountered many of the issues that would end up plaguing the United States.
—Christopher Benfey, The New York Review of Books, 19 Feb. 2026
Even cursory nods to the pandemic as the root cause of neighbors turning against neighbors aren’t explored so much as they’re acknowledged, as if viewers are somehow unaware of the polarization plaguing America.
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 13 Feb. 2026
The House passed a bipartisan housing bill that would enact new policies to boost housing supply and ease the affordability crisis plaguing the nation.
—Zach Halaschak, The Washington Examiner, 10 Feb. 2026
Restaurants expanding reach Marcos Carbajal, owner of Carnitas Uruapan in the Little Village, Pilsen and Gage Park neighborhoods, has been vocal about the financial struggles plaguing his restaurant since federal immigration enforcement rippled through the city starting in September.
—Zareen Syed, Chicago Tribune, 4 Feb. 2026
Mayor Hogsett avoids police chief drama plaguing other cities, James Briggs argues.
—Joe Mutascio, IndyStar, 3 Feb. 2026
Kid Rock gave an impassioned testimony before the Senate Commerce Committee earlier today, addressing the ongoing issues plaguing the ticketing industry and the unfair practices employed at the expense of both artists and fans.
—Steven J. Horowitz, Variety, 28 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for plaguing
Verb
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But the overlap with unusually frigid temperatures afflicting Florida's Space Coast and the rest of the country have turned Crew-12's launch opportunities into an intricate dance around Artemis 2.—
Josh Dinner,
Space.com,
30 Jan. 2026
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Their bread-and-butter is comforting the most comfortable by afflicting the most afflicted.—
Gustavo Arellano,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
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But so often left unsaid by Gu are the moral ambiguities that come with choosing to represent a country that has been heavily criticized by Human Rights Watch, among other watchdog groups, for denying rights of freedom of expression and for persecuting government critics.—
Zak Keefer,
New York Times,
17 Feb. 2026
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Troops are occupying our cities and persecuting our people.—
Maria Guinnip,
Oklahoman,
21 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Israel tried to take over Gaza City before in this war, besieging it and launching raids in its streets, but tens of thousands of people remained.—
Aya Batrawy,
NPR,
5 Sep. 2025
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And while politicians know that there are costs to besieging an independent central bank – financial markets may react negatively or inflation may flare up – short-term control of a powerful policy tool can prove irresistible.—
Ana Carolina Garriga,
The Conversation,
26 Aug. 2025
Verb
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According to court records, Quero Silva is defending himself against the new federal lawsuit accusing him of torturing the protestors in Barquisimeto.—
Jay Weaver,
Miami Herald,
13 Feb. 2026
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Yorgos Lanthimos, Florian Zeller and Juliette Binoche are among more than 800 film professionals who have signed a joint statement condemning the Iranian government for killing and torturing its own people.—
Elsa Keslassy,
Variety,
21 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Plaguing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/plaguing. Accessed 23 Feb. 2026.
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