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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To some, this might be the stuff of nightmares and horror movies.—
Tony Perrottet,
Smithsonian Magazine,
24 Mar. 2025 -
Sometimes his nightmares are tied to past regrets.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
23 Mar. 2025
Noun
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The edits were originally flagged by The Washington Post, which reported that changes stripped away key references to Harriet Tubman and softened language that once plainly conveyed the horrors of slavery.—
Amber Corrine,
VIBE.com,
8 Apr. 2025
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The four-time major champion will be back at Augusta for his 11th go at the career grand slam, but land of the Azaleas has been a house of horrors at times for the Northern Irishman.—
Gordon G. Chang,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Medical visits for heart and lung issues in the Baltimore region surged by 20 percent during six days in June 2023, when smoke from Western Canada blazes drifted across the continent, according to the study, published on Friday in JAMA Network Open.—
Sharon Udasin,
The Hill,
18 Dec. 2024
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Fires How recent wildfires have primed Malibu and the Santa Monica Mountains for more frequent blazes.—
Andrew J. Campa,
Los Angeles Times,
15 Dec. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Purgatories.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/purgatories. Accessed 25 Jul. 2025.
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