purge

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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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of purge China may be amenable to this arrangement because Xi, who continues to purge high-level military officials, appears to not fully trust the People’s Liberation Army or its readiness to take Taiwan in the near term. Marvin Park, Foreign Affairs, 22 Oct. 2025 Given the choice to purge books or hide their covers, Boismier did neither. Jennifer Smith Richards, ProPublica, 22 Oct. 2025 The plaintiffs in the New York suit seek a declaration that the surveillance program is unconstitutional, an injunction halting its operation, and an order requiring the government to purge any records derived from online monitoring. Robert Alexander, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Oct. 2025 Moreover, sometimes a leader falsely alleges a coup plot to purge members of the government suspected of disloyalty. John Joseph Chin, The Conversation, 16 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for purge
Recent Examples of Synonyms for purge
Verb
  • About 1,500 employees in the state Department of Human Services' Division of County Operations will be furloughed Friday unless federal funding is restored, according to the agency's website.
    Daniel McFadin, Arkansas Online, 5 Nov. 2025
  • Sherrill’s campaign had focused on restoring trust in government, fixing New Jersey’s troubled infrastructure, and lowering costs for middle-class families.
    Nik Popli, Time, 5 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • Crystals that cleanse All three minerals sped up the breakdown under typical environmental conditions, but the rate depended heavily on crystal structure.
    Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 4 Nov. 2025
  • The bars further the theme of NLE as a figure sent to cleanse the rap world of allegedly negative influences.
    Jeff Ihaza, Rolling Stone, 30 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Berenter said people have become more familiar with the concept of purifying sewage — and much more trusting of the science behind it — since San Diego first floated the idea two decades ago.
    David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Oct. 2025
  • Like the process of purifying reuse water, the desalination process is more expensive than the typical methods of treating non-brackish groundwater for consumption.
    Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 21 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Like the Rudy Giuliani mayoralty, but sort of impotent in ruthlessness, the Adams administration has loved to identify a scourge, an opportunity to conjure existential threats of social breakdown that the mayor’s office can then claim to heal.
    Doreen St. Félix, New Yorker, 8 Nov. 2025
  • With over 22 years of experience as a professional coach and spiritual facilitator, Oana has helped thousands of women awaken to their feminine power, heal emotional wounds, and experience deep joy, intimacy, and purpose.
    Maria Williams, USA Today, 7 Nov. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Purge.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/purge. Accessed 10 Nov. 2025.

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