as in to restore
to free from moral guilt or blemish especially ceremonially
a day on which the faithful are expected to purge themselves of their sins through prayer and fasting
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Recent Examples of purge
Order 1 dissolved the ruling Baath Party and removed all senior party members from their government positions, purging the administrative class that ran its ministries, hospitals and schools.
—
Farah N. Jan, The Conversation, 10 Mar. 2026
Pristine lunar samples are stored and handled in stainless steel glove cabinets, separated by triple layers of gloves, and purged by high-purity nitrogen gas to reduce sample degradation.
—Jeff Spry, Space.com, 28 Feb. 2026
This is the time to purge the emotional baggage to begin again.
—Faith Bugenhagen, Austin American Statesman, 26 Feb. 2026
Of the 101 senior officials, 36 were officially purged while 65 are missing or have been conspicuously absent from important meetings, the researchers said.
—Jennifer Jett, NBC news, 25 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for purge
Farah N. Jan, The Conversation, 10 Mar. 2026
Pristine lunar samples are stored and handled in stainless steel glove cabinets, separated by triple layers of gloves, and purged by high-purity nitrogen gas to reduce sample degradation.
—Jeff Spry, Space.com, 28 Feb. 2026
This is the time to purge the emotional baggage to begin again.
—Faith Bugenhagen, Austin American Statesman, 26 Feb. 2026
Of the 101 senior officials, 36 were officially purged while 65 are missing or have been conspicuously absent from important meetings, the researchers said.
—Jennifer Jett, NBC news, 25 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for purge
Recent Examples of Synonyms for purge
Verb
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But so is the ongoing shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security, which deserves to have its funding restored as soon as possible.—
Editorial Board,
Washington Post,
22 Mar. 2026
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Cuba started restoring power Sunday after the nation's energy grid collapsed a day prior, cutting electricity to millions of people.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
22 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The tasting begins with a palate-cleansing slurp of Soda Folk.—
Dominic Green,
The Washington Examiner,
20 Mar. 2026
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The same goes for cleansing with Epsom salt and milk baths.—
Sarah Boden,
NPR,
16 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Inside these trains, natural gas is purified and cooled to about –260 degrees Fahrenheit (–162 degrees Celsius), below the boiling point of methane.—
Stephanie Pappas,
Scientific American,
23 Mar. 2026
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When the characters played by Carey Mulligan and Kaden Leos begin to tiptoe into that void, Gosling sells the Driver’s transition into a man finally come alive, revitalized by love and purified by violence.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
20 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Curry has been recovering from runner’s knee, which can only be healed through rest, and is set to be re-evaluated by the Warriors on Saturday.—
Joseph Dycus,
Mercury News,
19 Mar. 2026
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For some, the lack of judgment in the wilderness is healing.—
Andrew McKean,
Outdoor Life,
19 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Purge.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/purge. Accessed 24 Mar. 2026.
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