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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Examples of purgatory in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
This breathtaking novel starts with the death of President Lincoln's son, but from there, we're whisked away to Saunders' version of the bardo — the Tibetan Buddhist purgatory for souls in limbo — a magical, bizarre, hilarious, and sometimes frightening place.
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The Week Us, theweek, 23 July 2024
But where does that leave us, the poor souls stuck in a housing world that feels a lot like purgatory?
—Alena Botros, Fortune, 18 Sep. 2024
In a place where tourists come and go, but the residents who cater to their whims can feel stuck in purgatory, Katerina and Yannis aren’t in for a vacation when they’re obliged to stick around for an autopsy after a tragic car crash to identify a body that’s suggested to be their daughter.
—Stephen Saito, Variety, 29 Aug. 2024
That means making some ugly choices to craft a strategy that will protect the most important U.S. interests in the region, without sending the United States back into purgatory.
—Mara Karlin, Foreign Affairs, 11 Dec. 2018
See all Example Sentences for purgatory 
The Week Us, theweek, 23 July 2024
But where does that leave us, the poor souls stuck in a housing world that feels a lot like purgatory?
—Alena Botros, Fortune, 18 Sep. 2024
In a place where tourists come and go, but the residents who cater to their whims can feel stuck in purgatory, Katerina and Yannis aren’t in for a vacation when they’re obliged to stick around for an autopsy after a tragic car crash to identify a body that’s suggested to be their daughter.
—Stephen Saito, Variety, 29 Aug. 2024
That means making some ugly choices to craft a strategy that will protect the most important U.S. interests in the region, without sending the United States back into purgatory.
—Mara Karlin, Foreign Affairs, 11 Dec. 2018
See all Example Sentences for purgatory
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'purgatory.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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“Purgatory.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/purgatory. Accessed 24 Oct. 2024.
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