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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But the people who love it have put it back together strong enough that a century of decay, the weather, ownership changes, cultural shifts, funding nightmares and a deadly virus couldn't strike the death blow.—
Laura L. Davis,
Nashville Tennessean,
9 Nov. 2025 -
Her mother, Amirah Sharhan, has said the traumatic assault has caused her daughter emotional distress, including nightmares and a fear of strangers.—
Detroit Free Press,
Freep.com,
6 Nov. 2025
Noun
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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
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With the launch of the Culling Game in the aftermath, 10 colonies from across Japan are transformed into dens of curses as part of a plot orchestrated by the most wicked sorcerer in history, Noritoshi Kamo.—
Nick Romano,
Entertainment Weekly,
7 Nov. 2025
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Up ahead, two men argued, their shouts and curses drowning out the hum of a helicopter that circled in the distance.—
Lizz Schumer,
PEOPLE,
29 Oct. 2025
Noun
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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
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But Pluribus’ series premiere feels like a night of horrors that’s unending.—
Brian Davids,
HollywoodReporter,
7 Nov. 2025
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The foundation, established by an act of Congress under President Bill Clinton, is dedicated to reminding Americans about the horrors of communism.—
Sal Rodriguez,
Oc Register,
7 Nov. 2025
Noun
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On Instagram, and even on her reality show, Kardashian comes across as thrillingly impervious, wearing impassivity like body armor and putting her body and face through Olympian ordeals to draw our collective gaze.—
Sophie Gilbert,
The Atlantic,
8 Nov. 2025
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In today’s housing market, even the lucky ones often face exhausting ordeals and need to stretch their budgets to land a home.—
Samantha Delouya,
CNN Money,
21 Oct. 2025
Noun
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But there was nothing in the way of a memorial, only a sign pointing north and south and a series of blue blazes leading to a nearby spring.—
Grayson Haver Currin,
Outside,
30 Oct. 2025
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The Duke and Duchess of Sussex later visited victims and distributed supplies in Southern California and paid tribute to the firefighters who helped battle the devastating blazes.—
Meredith Kile,
PEOPLE,
29 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Yet Margolick chronicles Caesar’s miseries as well as his triumphs, and the story slides inevitably into sadness.—
David Denby,
New Yorker,
10 Nov. 2025
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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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Cite this Entry
“Purgatories.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/purgatories. Accessed 14 Nov. 2025.
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