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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Recent Examples of purgatory
The result in the shorter term figures to be positive for shareholders, who faced more than two years of purgatory after the WarnerMedia-Discovery merger, in the view of MoffettNathanson analyst Robert Fishman.
—
Dade Hayes, Deadline, 26 Feb. 2026
Often, they are pushed back to Belarus, where they get stuck in forest encampments along the border or in Minsk, in a kind of dangerous purgatory.
—Elizabeth Flock, New Yorker, 23 Feb. 2026
Amazon’s satellite business, in purgatory between beta testing and a full rollout of its broadband-from-space service, notched two milestones last week.
—Matt Day, Bloomberg, 18 Feb. 2026
There’s a bit of fantasy in this novel as Vivian ascends to the Beyond, a purgatory of sorts, where she is guided by an angel figure named Martha.
—Amanda Favazza, Southern Living, 15 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for purgatory
Dade Hayes, Deadline, 26 Feb. 2026
Often, they are pushed back to Belarus, where they get stuck in forest encampments along the border or in Minsk, in a kind of dangerous purgatory.
—Elizabeth Flock, New Yorker, 23 Feb. 2026
Amazon’s satellite business, in purgatory between beta testing and a full rollout of its broadband-from-space service, notched two milestones last week.
—Matt Day, Bloomberg, 18 Feb. 2026
There’s a bit of fantasy in this novel as Vivian ascends to the Beyond, a purgatory of sorts, where she is guided by an angel figure named Martha.
—Amanda Favazza, Southern Living, 15 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for purgatory
Recent Examples of Synonyms for purgatory
Noun
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Where exactly was that blazing inferno of passion on the diamond?—
Dieter Kurtenbach,
Mercury News,
30 Mar. 2026
-
Separately, a Cal Fire task force has issued preliminary recommendations in the wake of the inferno.—
Joe Rubin,
Sacbee.com,
26 Mar. 2026
Noun
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But after the brutal crash on the first run and a second run that wasn’t much better, the dream looked to be more of a nightmare.—
Gawon Bae,
CNN Money,
27 Mar. 2026
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But the party could face a nightmare scenario in the nation's most populous state, where polling shows Republicans Steve Hilton and Chad Bianco leading the pack in the June 2 nonpartisan primary.—
Phillip M. Bailey,
USA Today,
27 Mar. 2026
Noun
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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
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Girand’s journey into this netherworld was sparked by neighborhood chaos and an attempt to understand what was happening.—
Teri Sforza,
Oc Register,
12 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Most Miami Beach residents and visitors have likely seen the giant bronze sculpture of an outstretched arm reaching to the sky as hundreds of small human figures cling to it and each other with expressions of agony.—
Lauren Costantino
March 27,
Miami Herald,
27 Mar. 2026
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But in the short term, the decision is likely to be popular with millions of Americans who’ve seen all the airport agony and have never liked the idea of using federal government shutdowns — of any kind, by either party — to win partisan policy fights.—
U T Editorial Board,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
27 Mar. 2026
Noun
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When his daughter Rainy is abducted, humble tradesman Wang Wei is thrust into a deadly underworld of corruption and violence.—
William Earl,
Variety,
25 Mar. 2026
-
Soon after, the weapon used is traced back to Sverre Olsen (Arthur Hakalahti), a young arms dealer operating in a downtown warehouse populated by the city’s underworld and, according to the 70 percent assurance of face recognition expert Beate (Ellen Helinder), a familiar presence within the force.—
Jon O'Brien,
IndieWire,
23 Mar. 2026
Noun
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At the beginning of her music career, Jordan was (rightfully) hailed as a prodigy—a blessing and a curse.—
Grace Robins-Somerville,
Pitchfork,
30 Mar. 2026
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Meeting Rachel’s parents and getting that backstory leads her into discovering this family curse.—
Kate Erbland,
IndieWire,
27 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Brash, confident, possibly irreverent, and out there, looking to make life hell for everyone who played San Francisco.—
Dieter Kurtenbach,
Mercury News,
30 Mar. 2026
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But Mike Johnson, leader of the House of Representatives, said hell no to what his Republicans in the Senate said yes to.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
29 Mar. 2026
Noun
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For Nissa True, the owner of Smithville’s Pizza Shoppe, the community support has made the whole ordeal much easier to endure.—
Jenna Ebbers,
Kansas City Star,
1 Apr. 2026
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Wenrick said the department hired an outside firm to investigate the entire ordeal, which includes determining why the patrol was left unlocked.—
Nicole Comstock,
CBS News,
31 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Purgatory.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/purgatory. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.
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