1
as in infernos
a temporary place or state in which the souls of people who die make amends for their sins
It was a summer job that felt like purgatory to the teen.
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2
as in nightmares
a place or state of temporary suffering
We found ourselves trapped in the purgatory of a rush-hour traffic jam.
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Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for purgatories
Noun
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Saleh definitely enjoys the weekly meetings and sausage-making process, despite admittedly having nightmares every Monday night about the next opponent.—
Vic Tafur,
New York Times,
10 Oct. 2025 -
When border crossings were higher, there could be logistical nightmares for his company, Martinez said.—
Julia Ainsley,
NBC news,
8 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The protagonist's youth doesn't defang the story, as Silent Hill f wastes no time thrusting Hinako and her friends into their personal hells.—
Zackery Cuevas,
PC Magazine,
23 Sep. 2025
-
All’s well that metal-as-hells well.—
Rob Sheffield,
Rolling Stone,
27 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
The source of a zombie outbreak can come from anywhere, including ancient curses and meteorites from space.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
17 Oct. 2025
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That mindset leads to no shortage of delightfully blasé supernatural adventures rife with magic and curses.—
Abby Monteil,
Them.,
15 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
For Aronofsky, the city’s ethnic blend has no special claim on virtue; there seem to be as many criminal underworlds as there are demographic groups.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
28 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
President Biden singularly stands out in his callous enabling of the horrors inflicted on Gaza for more than a year.—
Shibley Telhami,
Time,
13 Oct. 2025
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The film, set in a southeast Ukrainian town occupied by Russia, will explore the search for human dignity amidst the daily horrors of war.—
Annika Pham,
Variety,
13 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Kruse and Fialko invested seven figures into rebuilding Priscilla’s brand, stabilizing her finances, settling her lawsuits, cleaning up numerous private family ordeals, and attempting to help Priscilla repair her relationship with her daughter.—
Michaela Zee,
Variety,
13 Aug. 2025
Noun
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And that's before the metaphoric storm of secrets and lies blazes through the station.—
Laura L. Davis,
Nashville Tennessean,
9 Oct. 2025
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Both blazes burned for days, destroying more than 6,000 structures and leaving entire neighborhoods in ruins.—
Gabe Whisnant,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Falling support in Gaza Palestinian public pressure on Hamas has risen as the miseries of war have mounted.—
Mkhaimar Abusada,
The Conversation,
5 Oct. 2025
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But current virus variants continue to spread burning throats, fevers and other miseries.—
Grant Stringer,
Mercury News,
8 Sep. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Purgatories.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/purgatories. Accessed 20 Oct. 2025.
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