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
The nation was to be purged of continual sin not indeed all of its own doing—due partly to its inheritance; and yet a sin, a negation that gave the world the right to sneer at the pretensions of this republic.
—
James Folta, Literary Hub, 23 Jan. 2026
And so every autocrat ends up purging any kind of critic.
—Anne Applebaum, The Atlantic, 23 Jan. 2026
The cancellations come after Trump purged the center’s bipartisan board members, just seven days after he was inaugurated into office in 2025.
—Maya Georgi, Rolling Stone, 23 Jan. 2026
Meanwhile, outflow jets purge some of this material out to the edges of its protoplanetary disk.
—Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 22 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for purge
James Folta, Literary Hub, 23 Jan. 2026
And so every autocrat ends up purging any kind of critic.
—Anne Applebaum, The Atlantic, 23 Jan. 2026
The cancellations come after Trump purged the center’s bipartisan board members, just seven days after he was inaugurated into office in 2025.
—Maya Georgi, Rolling Stone, 23 Jan. 2026
Meanwhile, outflow jets purge some of this material out to the edges of its protoplanetary disk.
—Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 22 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for purge
Recent Examples of Synonyms for purge
Verb
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On this occasion, his team only threatened to restore parity once, Henderson blocking Kostoulas’s shot after he was put through by Georginio Rutter.—
Andy Naylor,
New York Times,
9 Feb. 2026
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Administration public health officials often cite the need to restore trust in public health systems after the coronavirus pandemic, when vaccine policy and the general public health response to the deadly pandemic became a highly polarizing topic in American politics.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The idea of a tube up my tuchus didn’t scare me, nor did the notorious prep of drinking a foul-tasting liquid to cleanse your intestinal tract.—
Gustavo Arellano,
Los Angeles Times,
3 Feb. 2026
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However, cleansing balms and makeup remover wipes are still the most competitive of the bunch.—
Tatayana Yomary,
Essence,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
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But all of those religions are teaching us how to purify our minds and become a good person in our society.—
Meagan Jordan,
Rolling Stone,
8 Feb. 2026
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On the nuclear issue, a key point of contention remains Iran’s demand to enrich uranium – a nuclear fuel that can be used to make a bomb if purified to high levels – which the US and its allies reject.—
Nadeen Ebrahim,
CNN Money,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Lighter damage often heals easily on its own, but deeper burns destroy both surface and deeper tissues.—
Andrew Paul,
Popular Science,
5 Feb. 2026
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Thank you for being a safe and healing space when it was needed.—
Tanasia Kenney,
Charlotte Observer,
5 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Purge.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/purge. Accessed 13 Feb. 2026.
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