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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
Maria Sherman, Fortune, 28 Apr. 2026
And so what was once out of bounds continued to move within the Pale, and a scourge went on afflicting politicians and groypers and, yes, comedians alike.
—Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 27 Apr. 2026
Dorothy Wickenden, The New Yorker, 30 Oct. 2023
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
See All Example Sentences for scourge
Noun
Pornographic deepfake images of her have circulated online, making the singer the most famous victim of a scourge that tech platforms and antiabuse groups have struggled to fix.
—Maria Sherman, Fortune, 28 Apr. 2026
And so what was once out of bounds continued to move within the Pale, and a scourge went on afflicting politicians and groypers and, yes, comedians alike.
—Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 27 Apr. 2026
Verb
The tragedy inspired a poem by twelve-year-old Benjamin Franklin and a funeral oration by the scourging Puritan clergyman Cotton Mather.
—Dorothy Wickenden, The New Yorker, 30 Oct. 2023
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
See All Example Sentences for scourge
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scourge
Noun
-
Scientists are learning more about the underlying mechanisms of the whip, according to a presentation at this week’s meeting of the Acoustical Society of America in Philadelphia.—
Jennifer Ouellette,
ArsTechnica,
13 May 2026
-
Gone are the Labrinth needle-drops and kinetic camerawork — whip-pans and dolly zooms have given way to wide shots on 65mm, as its cast of hot young actors delve deeper into a vast wasteland where hope does not spring eternal.—
Marlow Stern,
Variety,
11 May 2026
Noun
-
One day, the crew was filming a scene at one of Christie’s fashion shows, where the Velvet Gang confronts its nemesis.—
Emily Nussbaum,
New Yorker,
17 May 2026
-
Various nemeses and side characters enter the fray, from Jim’s archenemy (and also Insta-famous) Pavel to the scally with a sneaker-sniffing fetish who guides Jim and Lucien to their next destination.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
17 May 2026
Noun
-
As words have incantatory power to shift elements of fate, as well as matters of the heart, this project calls forward questions around an alleged family curse from Nagasaki and the writing process as its own counter-spell.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 May 2026
-
Press conferences can be a blessing and a curse for football managers.—
Beren Cross,
New York Times,
16 May 2026
Verb
-
When devastating floods ravaged central Texas last July, Shiflet gathered a crew and traveled two hours to spend days in the wreckage to help.—
Kristin Shaw,
Forbes.com,
17 May 2026
-
This town of around 200 native Náhuatl people is among many in the central state of Guerrero ravaged by decades of fracturing rival criminal groups warring for territorial control.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
16 May 2026
Verb
-
That day, Riley had been editing a sequence in which Corvette sneaks into a San Francisco condo owned by Christie, her fashion idol, by hiding inside a coffee delivery cart.—
Emily Nussbaum,
New Yorker,
17 May 2026
-
Bugs also tend to hide inside packaging, seams, or even the food itself.—
Kate Van Pelt,
The Spruce,
15 May 2026
Noun
-
Watch collectors had anticipated the collaboration to result in a wristwatch, and watch accessory companies, such as Helvetus and Delugs, have announced plans to offer straps to allow the watches to be worn on the wrist.—
James Powel,
USA Today,
17 May 2026
-
Plus, the Mary Jane-style strap secures your foot for more comfortable wear.—
Izzy Baskette,
PEOPLE,
17 May 2026
Noun
-
Activists say the real death toll may never be known, with users and small-time peddlers gunned down almost daily in mysterious slumland killings blamed on vigilantes and turf wars.—
Reuters,
NBC news,
13 May 2026
-
Like the comics, Bernthal’s Punisher was a loose-cannon, gun-toting vigilante overflowing with grief from the shocking murders of his wife and children.—
Jordan Moreau,
Variety,
13 May 2026
Noun
-
Triangle-shaped, prolific, and ever-challenging to manage, nutsedge is a bane to many gardeners’ existences because the underground nutlets formed within its roots establish new plants for every single plant that grows.—
Anthony Reardon,
Kansas City Star,
18 May 2026
-
For a decade, surfaces of materials were the bane of my existence.—
Stephen Clark,
ArsTechnica,
15 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Scourge.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scourge. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
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