1
as in inferno
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 nightmare
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
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Recent Examples of purgatory
Although a lot of software is still in AI-purgatory, stocks like FTNT, PANW and CRWD are clawing their way back.
—
Josh Brown,sean Russo, CNBC, 18 May 2026
That is a recipe for pilot purgatory.
—Drew Cukor, Fortune, 11 May 2026
At the top, Luis Campusano has reasserted himself as viable option in the majors after a couple years seemingly in purgatory.
—Jeff Sanders, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 May 2026
The Hawks climbed their way out of Play-In purgatory, finishing the regular season with the franchise’s second-best record in a decade.
—Lauren Williams, AJC.com, 2 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for purgatory
Josh Brown,sean Russo, CNBC, 18 May 2026
That is a recipe for pilot purgatory.
—Drew Cukor, Fortune, 11 May 2026
At the top, Luis Campusano has reasserted himself as viable option in the majors after a couple years seemingly in purgatory.
—Jeff Sanders, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 May 2026
The Hawks climbed their way out of Play-In purgatory, finishing the regular season with the franchise’s second-best record in a decade.
—Lauren Williams, AJC.com, 2 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for purgatory
Recent Examples of Synonyms for purgatory
Noun
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Crucial events morphed into massive set pieces, like Louis hunting down Claudia’s killers by setting their theater on fire, exploding the motorcycles of the vampires who fled the inferno, and eventually bursting out of a manhole to behead Claudia’s main tormenter.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
2 June 2026
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Our bombs turned the city into a burning inferno and killed countless civilians.—
Letters to the Editor,
The Orlando Sentinel,
27 May 2026
Noun
-
Doue and Dembele also drop into midfield, while Kvaratskhelia is his usual destructive self off the left, rounding off a nightmare of rotations and raw running power that tempts defences out of their shape before smashing through.—
Sarah Shephard,
New York Times,
29 May 2026
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The nightly variance in a league that shot 44 percent from the floor last season is a mathematical nightmare.—
Dieter Kurtenbach,
Mercury News,
29 May 2026
Noun
-
The rules of this netherworld announce themselves, early on, via a nondescript wall sign.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
10 Apr. 2026
-
Now, in an age of instant communications, their Cold War counterparts could nonetheless disappear into a covert netherworld, loosening Washington’s controls and freeing them to plot coups, mobilize armies, and install governments.—
Alfred McCoy,
Literary Hub,
26 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Tony was in agony and there was a lot of blood.—
Amanda Lee Myers,
USA Today,
28 May 2026
-
Jack Grealish had rolled on the floor in agony.—
Sam Lee,
New York Times,
25 May 2026
Noun
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But after cleaning house in the Windy City and establishing himself as the top dog of the criminal underworld, with a growing family to boot, will the allure of his past be enough to send him packing?—
Rosy Cordero,
Deadline,
4 June 2026
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Then, any feeling of empowerment Rue got from her underworld dealings and religious inklings was squished by a Wire-ish cat-and-mouse game between her suppliers and their federal law-enforcement foils, leading to her death in the finale.—
Craig Jenkins,
Vulture,
2 June 2026
Noun
-
As Rachel learns about the family curse that threatens her and her betrothed, Morrone digs in with emotional complexity and real grit.—
Joe Reid,
Vulture,
29 May 2026
-
As Frankelda and Herneval grow closer, their bond becomes both a strength and a curse.—
Wilson Chapman,
IndieWire,
28 May 2026
Noun
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Meanwhile, in Sacramento, the Kings are back in basketball hell after tying for the fourth-worst record in the NBA despite having the league’s eighth-highest payroll.—
Jason Anderson,
Sacbee.com,
2 June 2026
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The Avici hell is the lowest and most terrible level of the eight hot hells of Buddhism, where those who’ve committed serious crimes (like parricide) must face constant suffering.—
Regina Kim,
Forbes.com,
1 June 2026
Noun
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Meanwhile, Phillips said, victims are left to live with the impacts of the perpetrators’ actions — with the survivors in this case forced to continue to relive their ordeals as the case continues on to the Court of Appeal.—
Chantal Da Silva,
NBC news,
3 June 2026
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Success after so much failure—gut-wrenching letdowns after episodes of Odyssean temptation to fleeting belief; too many to count—is almost an ordeal.—
Vinson Cunningham,
New Yorker,
2 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Purgatory.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/purgatory. Accessed 9 Jun. 2026.
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