1
as in whip
a long thin or flexible tool for striking
the museum display included a scourge, thumbscrews, and other notorious instruments of torture
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2
as in nemesis
one who inflicts punishment in return for an injury or offense
the attorney general, who just happens to be a candidate for governor, is a self-proclaimed scourge of organized crime
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in curse
a source of harm or misfortune
the sheer ubiquity of food is proving to be the scourge of humanity, as evidenced by the obesity epidemic
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to ravage
to bring destruction to (something) through violent action
barbarians scourged the countryside, leaving village after village burned to the ground
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to whip
to strike repeatedly with something long and thin or flexible
scourge the tree with a whip to loosen the bark
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of scourge
New York Times, 24 July 2025
The scourge of crypto scams — enabled by seemingly harmless looking bitcoin ATMs standing in the corner of gas stations and grocery stores — has one wealthy community on the shores of Lake St. Clair saying enough is enough.
—Susan Tompor, Freep.com, 10 July 2025
Sébastien Roblin, Popular Mechanics, 9 Mar. 2023
Of all the fearful diseases that scourge the human race, this ranks among those that are justly feared most.
—Mark Fischetti, Scientific American, 2 Nov. 2021
See All Example Sentences for scourge
Noun
Electric scooters rented by app are a scourge on sidewalks, but extremely convenient for the short distances.
—New York Times, 24 July 2025
The scourge of crypto scams — enabled by seemingly harmless looking bitcoin ATMs standing in the corner of gas stations and grocery stores — has one wealthy community on the shores of Lake St. Clair saying enough is enough.
—Susan Tompor, Freep.com, 10 July 2025
Verb
Like its American rival, the Tiger was initially intended to scourge Soviet tank battalions, but was refashioned for multi-role capabilities.
—Sébastien Roblin, Popular Mechanics, 9 Mar. 2023
Of all the fearful diseases that scourge the human race, this ranks among those that are justly feared most.
—Mark Fischetti, Scientific American, 2 Nov. 2021
See All Example Sentences for scourge
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scourge
Noun
-
Wind whips both the sound waves and temperatures around, so bring a blanket even if it’s not forecast to rain or hail.—
John Wenzel,
Denver Post,
19 Aug. 2025
-
Freak tornadoes uproot electric poles, whip wires into a maelstrom, rip tin roofs from homes, and once shattered an entire village.—
Ariel Saramandi,
The Dial,
29 July 2025
Noun
-
Ksenia Mironova, who works at the independent channel TV Rain, shows off a photo of herself and Tom Felton, the film actor who played Harry’s nemesis Draco Malfoy.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
14 Aug. 2025
-
The Nevermore kids soon encounter their ideal nemeses in a troop of normie paramilitary Boy Scout types who’ve reserved the camp for the same days.—
Judy Berman,
Time,
6 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Set-pieces: a blessing and a curse Barcelona scored 14 goals from corners in La Liga and the Champions League last season.—
Anantaajith Raghuraman,
New York Times,
16 Aug. 2025
-
Such an inheritance can in some ways be a curse, according to former Ald.—
Jake Sheridan,
Chicago Tribune,
15 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Sanders is the latest in a long line of injuries that have ravaged Cleveland's QB room.—
Michael Gallagher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
15 Aug. 2025
-
As a 1,000-year flood ravaged Milwaukee and its suburbs over a weekend in August, the aftermath reveals that many need a helping hand.—
Drake Bentley,
jsonline.com,
15 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
The moment, which quickly went viral, saw the pair duck to hide their faces from the camera, setting off alarm bells and becoming instant fodder for online chatter.—
Anna Kaufman,
USA Today,
26 Aug. 2025
-
This broadly guides the AI and can be hidden from users or found by savvy users via insider awareness of where to look.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
25 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Original price: $139.95 Lands' End Mary Jane flats feature a soft leather upper and a secure strap with a buckle for a classic look.—
Nora Colomer
may earn a commission if you buy through our referral links. This content was created by a team that works independently from the Fox newsroom.,
FOXNews.com,
26 Aug. 2025
-
All the rubber straps are bespoke-made with stamped leaf patterns.—
Tianwei Zhang,
Footwear News,
26 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
The Boys, a satirical drama about vigilantes who set out to take down corrupt superheroes, is gearing up for the release of its fifth and final season, expected sometime in 2026 on Prime Video.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
14 Aug. 2025
-
Some Redditors urge vigilante weed-killing as a sort of lawn care self-defense.—
Leanne Potts,
Better Homes & Gardens,
13 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
In the first episode, my friend Anthony, who’s also a cameraman on the show, talks about vertical video being the bane of society.—
Andrew Marantz,
New Yorker,
24 Aug. 2025
-
For Ferndale businesses and residents, the commerce train is a bane of their existence.—
Ayah Imran,
Freep.com,
18 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Scourge.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scourge. Accessed 31 Aug. 2025.
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